Wake Up
by The Akatsuki Wolf
Summary: "I treat you for what you're worth." Sasuke hears those words leave his abusive boyfriend, Suigetsu's, mouth almost every day, and he knows exactly what his worth is. Nothing. He deals with the torment so no one else gets hurt, but when a blonde, Naruto, moves in across the street, things begin to change. And Sasuke begins to believe Naruto's words. "You're worth more than that."
1. What do you want from me?

**AUTHORESS: Amaya~Ikari**

**DATE WRITTEN: 5/25/13**

**TITLE: Wake Up**

**ANIME: Naruto**

**PAIRING: Yaoi: NarutoXSasuke/SuigetsuXSasuke/Minor HidanXItachi**

**STATUS: Multichapter: Incomplete**

**RELATED STORIES: None**

**WARNINGS: Graphic sex between two males, graphic rape, violence, domestic abuse, underage drinking, thoughts of suicide, AU and OOC. (I swear to god this isn't as dark as it sounds I just don't want anyone to be caught off guard by something in the story.) **

_~Do you feel like a man, when you push him around, do you feel better now as he falls to the ground~_

* * *

Sasuke groaned as the sun snuck its way across his floor, climbing up his bed sheets and assaulting his eyes. The brightness had no mercy for eyes, especially in the mornings. He glanced at his clock, realizing he'd woken up only six minutes before his alarm was to go off. He thought about turning back over and waiting for it to go off, though that would probably only make him tired once more. Thus, he turned the alarm off and stood up a little too fast. He stretched, growling lowly in his throat as he did so. You couldn't be quiet when stretching, it just didn't happen.

He uncaringly picked up some clothes from his dresser and went to the bathroom, hoping to get himself ready to face the day. Physically, at any rate. He showered, shivering as the cool water managed to fully bring his mind into a state of awareness. As he stepped out he shook his hair to get the excess water off, a habit that usually annoyed his older brother. He dressed in the dark clothes he'd chosen, the shirt a little large. Probably one he'd stolen from Itachi some time ago.

He walked downstairs, letting himself collapse onto the couch. He didn't react when something jumped onto his stomach. His brother had found a female kitten sometime last year and they both had gotten attached to it. "There's this new thing I think might be fun, it's called "sitting" and I hear it saves furniture. You might want to try it." A flat voice spoke. Sasuke smirked imperceptibly. "That's for boring people." He replied, sitting up slowly as to not disturb the sleek black animal in his lap. Itachi rolled his eyes as he walked into the kitchen. "Try to let our couch live through your winter break, all right?" He called over his shoulder. Sasuke scoffed. Itachi could sound like an annoyed mother at times.

Well, he supposed he was… Itachi and Sasuke had lived on their own since Itachi was fifteen and was emancipated and began taking care of his younger brother. They'd lived with their uncle for two years before that. Their parents had been killed when Itachi was thirteen and Sasuke was eight. Itachi had to be both parents for his brother. Sasuke was currently sixteen and in his last year of high school, he had skipped a grade; sometimes being smart and coming from a strict background came in handy. He'd thought once or twice about quitting, but in the end he chose to stick it out. If only to have somewhere to go in the days.

He gently nudged the cat that decided he was to be a pillow. "Salem, move." He muttered, finally just picking her up. Deep green eyes gazed at him irritably, but she stalked off to find somewhere else warm to laze away. He stood and went into the kitchen, pouring a bowl of cereal. "I'm leaving early, I heard about some sort of accident on the highway so I'm taking the long way to avoid it." He hummed in reply to Itachi as the elder kissed his forehead before leaving. Sasuke listened to the car start, pull out of the driveway, and drive off. He sighed, washing his dish and putting it away.

_Any time. _

He glanced at Salem as she wound around his legs, he slid open the backdoor to let her outside. She'd probably come back with some kind of bloodbath with her. Damn hunting instincts. His eyes shot sideways when he heard someone knock. He tried to convince himself it could only be a package delivery or some fanatic trying to sell their religion.

He opened the door, releasing the breath he'd been holding. Childish hopes, didn't we learn to let go of that? "Hey, your brother home?" Sasuke stepped aside to let the white haired boy inside, closing the door behind him. "No, he's at work, Suigetsu." He replied monotonously. Suigetsu was his age, they'd been dating for about seven months. They had been friends for a year or so before Suigetsu convinced him to date him. Sasuke realized after about a month that the teenager had control and jealousy problems he'd not known about before.

_Maybe that's actually called being kept prisoner. _

Sasuke sighed as a smirk crossed the taller boy's expression. Today wasn't going to be a good day. He tensed when he was pulled forward into a rough kiss that was really more teeth than kiss. "Go cook something, I'm starving." Sasuke rolled his eyes, knowing as he walked into the kitchen that it truly wasn't worth the fight to go against Suigetsu. He wished he hadn't learned to cook from his mother, maybe Suigetsu wouldn't come over so often just to eat. He placed a bowl of rice and miso soup on the table, leaning against the counter. Suigetsu sat down, smirking up at the raven as if to mock him. "What do you want to do today?" He asked as he ate, violet eyes sharp with control. "It doesn't matter." Sasuke replied, voice still holding its emotionless tone. He meant that in more than one way; it didn't matter what he said, they would do whatever _Suigetsu_ wanted. He watched Suigetsu glance out of the sliding glass door. "Let's go swimming." He said suddenly. Sasuke looked outside at the underground pool, nearly snorting. He caught it before he dug himself a deeper hole.

"It's the middle of winter." He deadpanned, eyes warily regarding the other male as he stood up and walked outside as if Sasuke hadn't spoken. Suigetsu was a part of the water, Sasuke swore it. He was an incredibly strong swimmer and would live in the water if someone let him. Cold or hot, it didn't bother him. He quickly cleaned the bowl and put it away, walking outside after the other. One way or another, Suigetsu would drag him outside. He watched the boy dive into the water and come up, staring him up and down. "Come here." Sasuke folded his arms, standing a few inches back so Suigetsu couldn't pull him in. "I'm not getting in." He responded; he hated cold water. He hardly ever went swimming, even in the summer. Suigetsu narrowed his eyes. "I don't think I was asking. I'm your boyfriend, learn to act like it." Sasuke didn't bother to hide his snort of disbelief this time. "You don't act like I'm your boyfriend, you treat me like I'm a slave. Like I'm your dog." Sasuke growled, eyes narrowed as he glared down at Suigetsu. He felt a thought at the back of his mind, wondering if the neighbors could hear him scream if the other boy attacked him. "You're only trying to seduce me." He muttered, not interested in getting in the water and being groped. He didn't let Suigetsu touch him if he could help it, the white-haired boy was a sleaze.

He started slightly when Suigetsu spoke, recognizing the tone in his voice as bad news. "I treat you for what you're worth." He hissed, pulling himself out of the water. Sasuke took a step back, but it didn't make a difference. He lost his breath in a pained gasp as Suigetsu punched him in the stomach. "You made me do that." Suigetsu hissed venomously. Sasuke tried to inhale, glaring at the other male icily. He wasn't a toy, you can't just beat a human around like it won't break. "Leave, Suigetsu. Now." He hissed, naively hoping his order would be followed. His house or not, Suigetsu acted like he owned everything. He gasped when Suigetsu suddenly raised his leg to kick him backwards hard, sending him into the pool with a loud splash. He was shocked at the action and by the time he managed to drag himself to the surface he felt like he'd inhaled half of the pool.

He coughed, lungs feeling like someone had lit a match inside his chest. He felt someone grab his wrist and jerk him out of the water, nearly taking his arm off. He grunted as he hit the wood of the ground, the only thing on his mind was trying to breathe. He coughed again, water leaving his mouth. He tensed when Suigetsu stepped beside him, but he heard a voice before the boy had a chance to do something else. "Suigetsu, leave my property. Now." He listened as Suigetsu growled under his breath, stepping over Sasuke and leaving. Itachi knelt beside the younger as he pushed himself onto his knees, chest on fire and wrist bruised. His head hurt really bad where he'd hit the ground, but he saw no blood and figured he was fine. The only blood was on his abdomen from where he'd scraped it being tossed onto the ground like a godforsaken doll. "Sasuke, tell me what happened." Itachi said, his tone short with anger as he helped Sasuke stand and walk inside, having suspected Sasuke's untrustworthy boyfriend had hurt him. "I just fell into the pool, being an idiot." He answered, voice a bit breathy.

He sat Sasuke in a chair, telling him to take his shirt off. The teenager hesitated, but unable to argue with the stern gaze he complied. Itachi's eyes hardened more so at the bruise. "You didn't just "fall into the pool" Sasuke, you have bruises here and on your arm." Sasuke disliked the accusatory tone; if Itachi got suspicious, he would try to do something, and would cause more trouble for Sasuke. "We were play-fighting, you know how we get, Itachi. It's been that way since we met. He pulled me out of the pool by my arm, that's probably where the bruise came from." Sasuke replied flatly, as if annoyed at the over-protective attitude Itachi was exhibiting.

Itachi stared at him for far too long before he sighed, handing Sasuke some aspirin for the pain and telling him to go shower. Sasuke complied immediately, thankful to just escape the suspicious look. He sat on the shower floor, his knees against his chest. Suigetsu didn't even care who saw or found out, he thought he could get out of anything. Sasuke let the water get cold before he finally got out, dressing in dry clothes. He walked out to find Itachi staring rather irritably at his phone. "Problems?" He asked, pulling the older Uchiha from his thoughts. "No, not at all." He said absently, shaking his head. Sasuke snickered, walking past Itachi. "Your boss ask you to strip in his office?" He ignored the chastising _"Sasuke!"_ And continued on teasing his brother. "Everyone's waiting for one of you to snap and finally give in." Itachi rolled his eyes at his brother, standing up.

"It's improper to have a relationship at work, especially with your boss. He just likes to irritate me." Sasuke internally smirked. Itachi would have already left had he not liked Hidan. The man had been his boss for around a year and a half, Itachi often said that Hidan was kind of crude and foul mouthed. He glanced outside, noticing Salem sitting on the chain-link fence of their neighbor's yard that lived across the street. The house had been empty for at least six or so years, the old woman that owned it had moved, occasionally coming back to make sure it was okay and no one had broken in. He saw a rather large, wolf-like dog with a reddish coat pacing back and forth beneath the smug looking cat. She swished her tail as if teasing him. Sasuke narrowed his eyes, walking closer to the window he looked to the side and saw a small moving truck in the driveway.

"Itachi, did someone move in across the street?"

* * *

**AUTHORESS NOTE:**

**Sasuke: What is this. **

**Amaya: …A story… **

**Sasuke: And that means you're doing what? **

**Amaya: …Writing… **

**Sasuke: And what **_**should**_** you be doing? **

**Amaya: …Not...Writing… **

**But the idea has been kind of strutting around the fabulous part of my mind and I didn't want to let it go. This story is based off a roleplay CrystalDarkSamus and I did (Yes, we have a lot) and the only things I changed were the main pairing and the fact that we had gender-bent Hidan. I left him male for this story. He's hot either way. The main pairing in the RP we did was Itachi and Sasuke, CrystalDarkSamus doesn't like that pairing but she was an incredibly good friend and roleplayed it with me anyway. While I began thinking about the story, I began thinking of Naruto… And thus a plot was born. **

**You didn't take me seriously before, did you? Yes, I do like to abuse Sasuke. It's usually by Deidara because I love that pairing and it just… Went well. But with this we decided on Suigetsu because them dating was more plausible, and I liked the thought of Suigetsu having a sadistic temper. I know I have like four or five stories going on with abuse and violence and darkness… But that's just my main theme, twists. **

**Alas, I don't know how long this will be nor do I know when the next chapters will follow. I have no schedule. I will next year, when I begin public school once more, then updates will probably be every weekend. Won't that be fun, to have some damn organization. As I say every time, the first chapter is usually something I use to get down the information I need to really begin, and to get the story rolling uphill. Enjoy, review, favorite. Seriously, review. I'm getting withdrawals from lack of people reviewing my stuff anymore. **

**Also, bite me. Suigetsu **_**is**_** actually taller than Sasuke. I know I usually make up heights, but this time it's true. Suigetsu is about three inches taller than Sassy-chan. And yes, I like the name Salem for a black cat. Thanks Sabrina. **


	2. Corruption

Itachi glanced out of the window, raising a brow in curiosity. "I suppose so, I haven't heard anything about it." Sasuke tilted his head slightly as he looked across the yard, smirking as the dog gave a frustrated bark at Salem as she strutted along the fence, taunting him. "If you're curious, why don't you go and see?" Itachi suggested, more to annoy Sasuke than anything else, knowing his brother wasn't a sociable person. The younger gave him a glance, but as he saw the dog jump up on the fence and startle Salem he decided he'd better go out and get her before one of them got hurt.

He quickly walked out of his house, glancing at the road before crossing it. He was a little annoyed, Salem never crossed the street, she stayed in the yard or went back into the woods behind their house. The dog probably roused her interest and she decided to go visit it. The road was dangerous, people sped down it like it was a racetrack. He jogged up to the fence, plucking the cat from her spot and eliciting an annoyed sound for ruining her fun. He started when someone spoke, having not noticed anyone else was nearby. "Oh, is that your cat? She's been hanging around here for a couple hours, Kurama seemed to like her." He looked up, surprised to come face to face with a blinding smile and blue eyes that would have made sapphires jealous. "Yes, she is. I assume you're the one that bought the house?" Sasuke said as he looked the stranger up and down. He had shaggy blonde hair and marks on his cheeks that he wasn't sure were tattoos or scars. He was an inch or three taller and built muscular, probably athletic.

The stranger chuckled and rubbed the back of his head. "Well, I'm the one moving in, but I didn't pay for it. My great-aunt owns this place and she's letting me stay since I got a job nearby. I'm Naruto, by the way." The blonde held a hand out towards Sasuke, the raven arched a brow but he tucked Salem in one arm and reached out to shake Naruto's hand. "You're one of my neighbors, then?" Sasuke nodded at the question, tilting his head towards his house. "Across the street, my name is Sasuke. My brother's name is Itachi, I'm sure you'll meet him soon." Sasuke sighed, raising a brow as Naruto smiled again. "Great, I haven't seen anyone else here so it's nice to finally meet someone." This guy was just a ball of fucking sunshine, wasn't he? Sasuke nodded, bidding him a goodnight and heading back. The dog whined in disappointment at his friend being taken away as Sasuke walked inside his home, setting the cat down and turning to walk into the living room. Itachi looked at him, arching a brow as Sasuke turned around. "What?"

Sasuke crossed his arms as Itachi stood up, setting the book he'd been reading down. "Well, did you meet the new neighbor?" Sasuke was tempted to give a smart ass answer, but refrained seeing as Itachi would probably have a sharp reply ready. Or a cuff to the head. "He's young, around my age. He said he was the owner's nephew." He relayed what he knew about the new occupant, sighing as he rubbed his forehead. Today had been long, he was going to bed. He didn't care how early it was. Time was a bitch, anyway. "Let's just hope he isn't a secret psychopath." He muttered before ascending the stairs and barricading himself in his room, letting himself fall into bed. He winced as he shifted to get comfortable, having almost forgotten about the bruise on his abdomen.

He laid on his back, putting an arm over his eyes. Sixteen, high grades, secure college, promising future… Kids were allowed to make mistakes, but what if that mistake cost them their future? What if the mistake was a controlling, possessive, jealous piece of shit with sadism and violence issues? What were you supposed to do? Tell the police? Ha, that was rich, it really was. Cops didn't interfere with any of that, not in a huge city like this where problems were much more severe and the officers much more corrupt. And what if that abusive "mistake" was a member of a gang, one of the most renowned and ruthless to pollute the streets of the city?

God, how he hated this routine. Every night it was the same "what if" game, as if he couldn't stop his mind from going through the tedious process. It didn't make a difference where he was or how much he tried to focus on something else, he always ended up right back in this melancholic, inescapable trap. He groaned and rolled over, pressing his face into the pillow. Perhaps he could smother the self-deprecating thoughts.

* * *

**-Morning-**

_It's hot. It shouldn't be this hot in the middle of winter. I can barely breathe. _

Sasuke jerked up with a gasp as he realized Salem had somehow gotten into his room and was sleeping on his pillow; cats had no sense of personal space. "Damn animal." He muttered as he stood, getting dressed in jeans and a red shirt. He sighed as he ran a hand through his hair, feeling like he hadn't slept at all. His nightmares were getting intolerable; how many times could the human mind continue having the same damn repetitive dream?

He trudged downstairs, not sparing his brother a glance as he passed him in the kitchen and got a drink of water, going back into the living room to flip through a book. "Not hungry?" Itachi asked as he put on a jacket, glancing at Sasuke. The younger shook his head in response, sighing in annoyance as Itachi ruffled his hair. "I might be late, tonight." Itachi warned before he took his leave. Sasuke flopped backwards onto the couch with a mutter of irritation, contemplating about going out somewhere.

"_Knock knock!" _

Or maybe not. He slowly rose up from the couch and walked to the door. He barely had it open before Suigetsu shoved his way inside and slammed it behind him, turning to glare at Sasuke. The raven took a step back, thoughts racing to look for some way to calm his boyfriend down. "What'd you tell your brother yesterday, huh?" He asked, backing Sasuke against the wall. The raven shook his head, "I didn't tell him anything, I said I fell into the-" He was cut off when Suigetsu slapped him across the face, the sound echoing in the otherwise silent house. "Don't lie to me, he wouldn't believe that bullshit." Sasuke's eyes flashed in anger as he turned back around, his cheek red from the hit. "Well he did, he doesn't expect me to lie to him." He hissed venomously, pushing past Suigetsu.

"Don't fucking walk away from me." Suigetsu grabbed Sasuke by the wrist, jerking him back harshly and slamming him against the wall with a loud crash. Sasuke winced at the impact, glaring up at the enraged boy as he leaned close to him. "You know what happens if you tell." He growled threateningly, causing Sasuke's body to go rigid, his eyes searching Suigetsu's expression. "I won't. You know I wouldn't." He said, his tone sounding like he was reassuring the other. Suigetsu sneered, pleased. "Good. Besides, who would believe you anyway?" He snickered, closing the space between them and kissing the Uchiha forcefully, bruising his lips. Sasuke hadn't been with anyone besides Suigetsu, he wondered if this was actually what kissing was like. He doubted it, otherwise people wouldn't like it so much.

He flinched when Suigetsu nipped his lip, forcing his tongue into his mouth when Sasuke gasped in pain. The raven wanted to shove the other off; why didn't he? Were the consequences really that bad? Worse than being sexually assaulted by your own boyfriend?

_You could be beaten by him. _

With that thought, he allowed Suigetsu to kiss him, forcing himself to engage in the kiss so it would seem like he enjoyed it, Suigetsu hated when Sasuke acted like he disliked or was flat out ignoring something the other teen was doing. When Suigetsu finally pulled back, he smirked down at Sasuke as the raven licked the blood from his lower lip. "I've got somewhere to be. I'll see you tomorrow." That wasn't a happy promise, it was a threat. He nodded, slowly sinking against the wall when the Hozuki left.

_What have I gotten myself into? _

_And how can I get out…_

* * *

Sasuke jumped when the door opened, whipping around to see who had walked in. Itachi raised a brow at the teenager, slowly setting his jacket and suitcase down. "You've been increasingly anxious as of late, Sasuke." He said slowly, closing and locking the door while Sasuke leaned against the counter in relief. He didn't think Suigetsu would have come back -or just walked in, without knowing if Itachi was home- but he couldn't put anything past the white-haired boy. "You just startled me, I hadn't heard your car." He muttered, turning back around.

Itachi gave him a dubious look, but didn't question him further since he knew it would only end up making the irritable teen angry. "Sorry I was so late, we have a new worker and I trained him. He's pretty young, in fact I think I heard someone mention he was only eighteen." Sasuke hummed in response to let the other know he was at least listening. "He's new to the area as well, Hidan said his name was Naruto. I-" Sasuke's eyes widened at hearing the name, turning back around and cutting Itachi off. "Did you say Naruto?" When Itachi nodded, giving Sasuke an odd look, the raven turned to look out of their kitchen window. "That's who moved across the street. He didn't seem like someone that would… Well, be the office type." Itachi raised a brow, shrugging as he turned on the stove to cook dinner. "He isn't exactly working in an office. He's more of a security guard, slash intern. Apparently he's just looking for something to pay the bills since he's fresh out of high-school."

What kind of kid left right after graduating without looking for college or having money saved up? It'd be simpler to stay at home and save up for a while and learn what you wanted to do, as far as he was concerned. He shook his head, telling Itachi he wasn't hungry before rapidly jogging upstairs so his brother wouldn't have time to reprimand him about not eating. He just didn't feel like it, he'd eat something later when he got hungry. People always complained when someone didn't eat, wasn't that the point of eating; when someone actually was hungry?

He crawled into his bed, not bothering to shove the cat off. She would only get back on or meow at him irritably from the ground, anyway. He curled into a ball, the bruise less noticeable from yesterday, though his lip stung.

_Always something new. _

He slowly drifted into slumber and darkness, his body relaxing as it entered unconsciousness. Sleep used to be a safe haven, a place you could dream and escape problems. That safe haven had been corrupted long ago. Sure, this dream was sweet and peaceful. It made his mind relax, as if nothing was wrong and that his life wasn't completely collapsing.

It was the next dream that made him wake up screaming.

* * *

**AUTHORESS NOTE:**

**You literally have no idea how excited I am that so many people followed and reviewed. I love all of you. **

**MzPearlz: We all have a hoe on the inside. Hidan is sexy as hell, who'd argue with that? Haha!**

**So guess who went to see the Star Trek: Into The Darkness thing at IMAX? Yeah, me. Guess what else? Yeah, the bad guy was damn sexy. Why do I always like the bad ones. I also really like Spock, he's funny. **

**I finally learned how to use "lets" and "let's" because you know what, grammar is confusing sometimes. Also before I begin getting reviews from people bitching about "Sasuke should just leave him." Next couple chapters will be dwelling deeper into why he thinks he can't leave him, and with more information about the gang he's a member of. **

**No, damn it, it's not Akatsuki either. **


	3. Deception

His hand clutched over his heart, breathing coming in erratic gasps. Salem had bolted off the bed and was sitting on the floor watching him with wide emerald eyes as Itachi threw open the door to his room. "Sasuke, what's the matter?" He asked, voice alarmed as he sat beside his younger brother. The raven hadn't even heard him; his own thoughts were too loud.

_He'll kill him. _

_Can't tell. _

_He'll kill him. _

_Can't ever tell anyone. _

_He'll take away the last person I care about. _

_Trapped with him forever. _

_He'll kill me. _

"Sasuke!" The teenager finally was torn from the final realms of his nightmare and the buzzing, unorganized thoughts, eyes darting up to meet Itachi's own concerned ones. "What on earth is-" He was cut off when Sasuke hugged him tightly, as if he were a lifeline. Sasuke's breathing was still fast as he reassured himself that he was awake, that Itachi was here and nothing had happened to him. Itachi, surprised, slowly stroked Sasuke's hair, worry in his eyes. Sasuke hadn't had nightmares since he was nine years old, and he hadn't acted like this in much longer. Something was wrong.

"Sasuke, what's wrong?" He asked slowly. The younger's shoulders sagged, shaking his head. He wanted to spill everything to Itachi, from the _first_ time Suigetsu insulted him to what had happened yesterday, but he couldn't do that to Itachi. He couldn't make him deal with his problems, couldn't expect him to make everything okay.

Couldn't put him in danger.

"I had a… Incredibly vivid dream. About mom and dad." He said, voice low as he spoke. He felt less guilty knowing that part of the nightmare had been about their parents and their deaths. It had made him realize how truly alone he was. Itachi looked over him and Sasuke kept his eyes and expression guarded as the elder spoke. "Do you want to talk?" Sasuke shook his head, looking away. "I don't remember most of it. It just…" Itachi kissed his forehead as he trailed off. "I'm here if you need me." He said, the promise comforting Sasuke, even when he knew he couldn't truly let himself depend on it. Itachi stood up, quietly closing the door. Sasuke lay back down, pulling the blankets entirely over his body. He flinched when something jumped on top of him, lifting the blanket up enough just to let Salem weasel her way underneath them. She curled up against his stomach, eyes watching him as he sighed shakily.

He almost felt like she knew what he'd dreamed about, as if she knew everything. He was all right with that, animals didn't judge you the petty way humans did. He felt comforted by her warmth as he slowly settled down, drowsily blinking as he stared into the darkness. Kids used to be afraid of the dark because they didn't know what was in it. Ghosts, clowns, monsters? Then, children grew out of it and learned none of it was real. Well, he was afraid of the darkness for different reasons. He knew very well what was in it.

_And the monsters, are all too real. _

* * *

**-Morning-**

"It's too early to go shopping." Sasuke muttered as Itachi tried to talk him into going to the nearby shopping center. "It's better to get everything done and out of the way at once." The older Uchiha replied, knowing he was fighting a losing battle. Sasuke despised having to go shopping, he disliked crowds and people. What was amusing was that when he needed to, Sasuke could deal with people quite well; he just didn't like to. Sasuke thought that most people around here were loud, idiotic and quick to judge everyone around them. Not worth wasting the time on.

Itachi sighed, shaking his head. "At least make a list of what you know we need." He said before walking into his room. Sasuke picked up a notepad, writing down a grocery list. At least the shopping center had everything you needed right in the same general area. Even though dozens of people surrounded you everywhere you went. He handed Itachi the list when he walked past again. "Are you sure this is it, because I'm not going back." Itachi said sternly, rolling his eyes when Sasuke gave an exasperated sigh and nodded. "I'll be back in a few hours, do me a favor and pick up a little bit." Sasuke sighed as he stood up, walking into the kitchen to make an effort at cleaning.

Itachi kept the house spotless, Sasuke wasn't sure if the elder was becoming a germaphobe or if he was simply trying to get Sasuke to pick up the same cleaning habits for when he grew up and had a home of his own. He wiped down the counters and swept, deeming that a good enough job for anyone. He looked outside, noticing it was cloudy. He liked cloudy or stormy weather, it was relaxing and peaceful. He opened the door to let Salem outside, deciding to walk out and get a little fresh air. He'd been spending a lot of time inside, as if locking himself up could protect him somehow. He smirked at Salem as she pounced at one of the weeds growing. Cats were so easily amused, sometimes. "Hey, Sasuke!"

He froze in place and looked up, feeling icy relief as he realized who had called his name. This was becoming inane; he had to be cautious even if he only took a step outside. He waved politely as Naruto jogged across the street. He wasn't interested in conversation, but he didn't want to come off as rude. He also was a little curious, about the other. He chuckled as Salem patiently waited for Naruto to stop in front of them before she attacked his shoes, trying to pry the shoelaces free. Naruto smiled, kneeling down to scratch her ears. "She's lively, that's for sure. I was surprised when she came over, most cats are afraid of Kurama." He said, looking back up at Sasuke. The Uchiha shrugged, leaning against the wall of the house. "She's usually too stubborn to let anything scare her, though he _is_ a big dog. What breed is he?" Naruto stood up then, earning an annoyed meow from Salem as she lost her attention.

"A mix, I found him at a shelter when he was a puppy and the woman said he had wolf in him." Ah, that explains the size, at least. He tilted his head when the sky grew darker. "My brother told me you got a job at Red Dawn Inc. last night." He said, brows rising when Naruto snapped his fingers with another bright grin. "I thought he looked like you, I remembered you saying your brother's name was Itachi. Yeah, my aunt was annoyed because she dislikes the owner of the company but I needed a job that didn't require a college education or 'three year experience' crap." He rolled his eyes. Sasuke chuckled lightly, mildly amused at the blonde's vivacious personality.

"What about you? Do you work or go to high school?" Sasuke blinked, having spaced out a moment. "High school, final year." He replied, folding his arms. "Ah, will you be working at the corporation when you finish?" Sasuke shook his head, sighing softly. "When I turn eighteen I will be, I'm sixteen right now." Naruto looked doubtful of that. "I skipped a grade in school." He said quickly, to clear up the confusion. Naruto chuckled, making Sasuke tilt his head. "So I'm in the company of a genius, then?" He said with a grin. Sasuke was surprised when he himself cracked a smile, having difficulty remembering the last time he'd genuinely done so.

"You should smile more often. You've looked sad both other times I've met you." Sasuke looked up in surprise, meeting Naruto's eyes. "Oh, I guess I've just been… In thought, lately." He shrugged. "If what you're thinking about makes you upset you shouldn't be thinking about them, whatever it is it's not worth it." Sasuke finally broke away from Naruto's gaze, shrugging in reply. "Sometimes you can't escape what's making your thoughts unhappy." He realized what he'd said a second after it left his mouth, he quickly bid the blonde a goodbye and turned around to go back inside before Naruto could finish whatever he'd been about to say. He leaned heavily against the door. "What's wrong with you?" He muttered, berating himself for the slip-up. He'd never let anything like that slip, he knew better than to talk about himself or else he would end up saying something like that. He'd not meant to let himself get caught up in the conversation.

He suddenly looked at the clock, realizing it was getting later. He hadn't even thought about Suigetsu since he'd gone outside, that was a stupid mistake; he'd have gotten really pissed off if he'd seen Sasuke talking to Naruto. Even if Sasuke had a good excuse, Suigetsu's jealousy often got way out of hand. He sighed, shaking his head and walking back up to his room. If Suigetsu bothered to show up now, which he doubted seeing as the teen knew Itachi should have been at home at the time and he couldn't stand being around the oldest Uchiha, he would just pretend to not be here. He lay down, sighing heavily. He'd been really tired, lately. As if all he really felt like doing was sleeping. He attributed it to having nothing else to do since he was out of school. He sluggishly felt himself falling asleep, hoping the slumber would be free of nightmares.

_Your mind is in disturbia._

_It's like the darkness is the light._

_Disturbia_

_Am I scaring you tonight?_

* * *

**AUTHORESS NOTE: **

**I learned more grammar; I used to say "laid down" but looked online because my laptop would say it wasn't really correct (squiggly green line) and I found out it's better to say "lay down." Because typically you say "laid" for an object. **

**Baby, I don't hate Sasuke. I just like hurting him. **

**Sasuke: There's not a difference.**

**Amaya: There damn well is. If I hated you, Naruto wouldn't be here. **

**Sasuke: Is this supposed to make it better? **

**Amaya: Heh. **

**And Kiara you will be **_**patient,**_** damn it. Don't rush me. **

**Naruto will be here next chapter. For almost the entire chapter. Because I just finished roleplaying with someone online and it was… Violent… And I want some sweetness. And I now have a serious phobia of locker rooms.**

_**Heiwa.**_


	4. Destruction

"_CRACK!" _

Sasuke jolted up with a gasp of shock as the crash of thunder ripped him away from the realm of sleep; and the clutches of his nightmare. He looked outside as lightning lit up his dark room, the downpour obviously having been going on for quite a while. He looked at the clock, seeing it read ten' o clock. He ran a hand through his hair and lay back down, his heart racing from the sudden shock of being awakened so suddenly. He smirked as Salem hopped beside him, making a deep sound of disapproval of the storm. Storms relaxed him, he wasn't sure why. Perhaps the symphony of the rain and thunder was soothing, or maybe he liked the darkness of the clouds.

Perhaps he liked storms because they symbolized his own destructive life.

He shook his head to clear his mind, sighing irritably. He wasn't going to get back to sleep, was he? He tossed and turned for the remainder of the bleak, rain-drenched night, the rain dwindling into a drizzle by the time the sun rose to deal with it. He considered lying in bed all day, but after rolling around for an hour or two he decided against it or it would screw up the rest of his schedule and he'd want to sleep late every day. He got up, putting on sweatpants and a shirt. He got up, walking downstairs. He froze mid-step when he heard a familiar voice in the kitchen, nearly having a heart attack.

_Suigetsu. _

He slowly made his way down, realizing Itachi and Suigetsu were both talking; and Itachi sounded rather hostile. He walked into the kitchen, causing both men to turn their gazes towards him. Suigetsu smiled as if excited to see him. "Morning, babe." He said, wrapping an arm around the raven's waist and kissing him lightly. Sasuke couldn't stand how genuinely sweet the other teen could act around others. Itachi took a slow inhale, turning around and picking up a bottle of water from the counter. "I'm stopping by the post office to get a package. I told Naruto to stop by later to pick up a portfolio he needs to organize, it's on the coffee table so please hand it to him when he drops by." His voice was short as he left, leaving Sasuke and Suigetsu alone. He heard a disapproving scoff as Suigetsu practically pushed him away, looking him up and down. "You look disgusting. And don't dress like that anymore, you look scruffy and homeless." Sasuke looked down, then gave Suigetsu a cold expression.

"I'm only around the house, who cares what I wear?" Suigetsu grabbed his jaw in a hard grip, forcing him to look up. "I care, I'm about sick of your fucking mouth. You could wear nothing, like the little slut you really are. You put on an act, no one believes it." He hissed, his other hand tearing at Sasuke's shirt. The Uchiha tried to push him off, gasping when someone knocked, catching him off guard. Suigetsu glanced sideways, roughly releasing Sasuke's face. His shirt was torn a bit, but it wasn't bad. He quickly moved away from the other boy, shaken slightly. He didn't know what Suigetsu had planned to do, he just knew he was grateful he didn't have to find out. He opened the door, composing himself as well as he could.

"Hey, Sasuke. Itachi told me to pick up some paperwork, I'm not bothering you am I?" Naruto asked. Sasuke shook his head, clearing his throat so his voice wouldn't waver. "No, come in." He said, stepping aside. Naruto walked in, Salem immediately trotting in from her previous hiding place. Sasuke was surprised; Salem had never once come out when Suigetsu was around, she didn't trust him. Naruto chuckled, reaching down to pick her up. "You have a way with animals." Sasuke commented thoughtfully, Naruto smiled, scratching the cat's chin. "Just lucky to meet nice animals, I guess." Suigetsu walked in from the kitchen, giving Sasuke an almost accusatory look. "Who's this?" He asked, tone not sharp though it wasn't welcoming. Naruto turned, looking the teenager up and down. "This is Naruto, he's our neighbor. He works with Itachi." Sasuke replied stiffly, the answer should have been enough to deter any jealousy or suspicion Suigetsu may have felt, but it wouldn't.

He walked into the living room, picking up the folder and handing it to Naruto. Sasuke actually laughed when Salem, refusing to be put down, climbed onto Naruto's shoulder and perched herself there like a bird. Naruto rolled his eyes in playful exasperation as he took the folder. "Thanks. You might wanna get down, cat. You can't come home with me." Sasuke still had a soft smile on his face as he reached up, clicking his tongue. "Salem, you're not going out. You wouldn't like dodging the puddles." He muttered, pleased when she gave up and gracefully leapt into Sasuke's grasp.

"Cool name." The blonde said, scratching Salem's ears. "I didn't know you had a cat." Sasuke jumped when Suigetsu suddenly spoke, having completely forgotten he was there. He didn't catch Naruto's narrowed eyes as he turned around to face Suigetsu. "She doesn't like people… She must like him because he has another pet." Sasuke said, voice falling to a murmur again. Suigetsu reached out to pet her, but the cat twisted free and agitatedly trotted off. Suigetsu tsked. "I hate animals." He muttered, turning to look back at Sasuke, who shrugged. "As I said, she dislikes most people." He turned back around to Naruto, surprised to catch him giving Suigetsu an almost calculative look. "Um, do you want something to drink?" He asked, ignoring Suigetsu's sigh. He knew he'd get told off later, but he didn't trust Suigetsu enough right then to be alone. Naruto glanced back at Sasuke, smiling cheerfully. "Sure." Sasuke nodded towards the kitchen so Naruto would follow, getting out a glass. "We've got soda, juice, milk…" He listed off. Naruto said soda was fine as he leaned back against the counter. "I don't believe I got your name."

Naruto said to Suigetsu, who had walked in and was standing over Sasuke as he poured the drink and gave it to Naruto. "Suigetsu. I'm Sasuke's boyfriend." Sasuke silently sighed as Suigetsu quickly made possession over him. Naruto raised a brow. "I assumed so." He replied, sipping the drink. "How old are you anyway, to be working at Akatsuki?" Sasuke rolled his eyes when Suigetsu couldn't see him; he disliked when people called the incorporation that nickname. It was derogatory, an insinuation towards the former owner that led a dangerous gang called "Akatsuki". That was old news. Naruto smirked, it was hidden by the cup but Sasuke, standing beside him, noticed it. "Eighteen." Suigetsu narrowed his eyes. "And you're on your own?" Naruto nodded shortly and Sasuke, sensing Suigetsu was crossing a line, cut into the conversation. "My brother said you're an intern but spend part time as a security guard?" He asked, standing between them.

"Yeah, I work mornings in security until the day one shows up or fill in if he isn't there, then I work as an intern." He replied, Sasuke thought his eyes were a little colder than usual as he stared Suigetsu down. All three looked up when someone walked inside, Itachi came into the kitchen. He paused, clearly surprised to see the three standing inside. "Hello, Naruto." He greeted, ruffling Sasuke's hair as he walked past. The raven muttered under his breath, giving Naruto a look when he snickered. Itachi and Suigetsu glared at each other, tension almost becoming palpable. Sasuke bit his lip when Itachi spoke. "Suigetsu, it's about to storm soon again, I suggest you leave before you're caught in it."

It wasn't a suggestion, but Suigetsu usually wasn't stupid enough to argue. He glanced at Naruto. "What about him?" He muttered. "I have work to discuss with him. Besides, he lives right across the street." Itachi's voice sent a shiver down Sasuke's back, it was angry and Sasuke was half afraid Suigetsu would end up being _thrown_ out. Luckily, the teenager growled under his breath, turning to Sasuke. He tilted Sasuke's chin up to kiss him, Sasuke had to force himself not to flinch. He exhaled slowly as Suigetsu finally left, feeling Naruto staring at him. That had been a show of utter possessiveness. He turned sideways as Itachi left. "Didn't he just say he needed to talk to you?" He said, confused. Naruto shrugged.

"He doesn't seem to get along with what's-his-name. Suigetsu." He replied, implying that's why he had Suigetsu leave and not him. Sasuke looked down, sighing. Naruto was right, Itachi started off believing Suigetsu was a bad influence; now he flat out hated the other for his attitude and behavior. Sasuke shook his head to clear the thoughts, quickly looking back up at Naruto. "I apologize, for his behavior. Suigetsu had no business prying into your life like that, he's just… A little jealous." He finished. Naruto blinked, mildly surprised at the apology. "Don't worry about it, I'm used to it. You don't need to be sorry for his asshole-ness." He replied. Sasuke swallowed, shaking his head. He should have defended his boyfriend, but he didn't want to. He was tired.

"Are you okay? You look kind of sick." He did? He hadn't noticed any difference. "I'm just tired, I guess." He replied, leaning against the counter. "Eat dinner before you go to bed." Itachi called from somewhere in the house, obviously where he could hear them. Naruto chuckled and Sasuke muttered something under his breath back at the elder about not being hungry. "He seems really protective. Do you two live alone?" Sasuke nodded, catching himself before he began talking. Things always slipped when he spoke. He didn't want to get close to anyone, and talking did that. Naruto set his cup in the sink and ran water in it to rinse it. "All right, I'll head off before it really begins to pour. Thanks for the drink." He picked up the folder, Sasuke bid him a goodbye before he slowly trudged up the stairs and fell into bed. He did feel weak, nothing out of the ordinary. He kept finding himself thinking about Naruto. The blonde was funny, Sasuke had thought he was dense because he was so cheerful, but that wasn't the case, it seemed…

_Why can't I get him out of my head?_

* * *

**AUTHORESS NOTE:**

**Most of you probably know this but for those that don't; I do not update on a schedule. My updates can be a day after I just put a new one up, or months. **

**I crave NaruSasu too, but I'm moving things slowly because there are a few very important scenes that I need to write out to pace out the story and give it depth. The entire story probably won't be fast paced, seeing as this is an abuse-recovery story. **

**Hm… I feel like there's something I'm forgetting… Oh well. I hope this chapter had enough of Naruto to satiate you because he won't be here next chapter. **


	5. Prisoner

_Tonight I'm so alone _

_This sorrow takes a hold _

_Don't leave me here so cold_

_Never want to be so cold_

It was so early Sasuke wasn't sure if it was considered tonight, or tomorrow morning. The clock read three thirty in the morning, and he was certain he was awake, though he felt unable to move. It was like the game he had played when he was little; you pretend to sleep so you can eavesdrop on the people around you, and you can't move or else they would know you were listening. Only now, he wasn't sure what he was supposed to be listening for besides the wind and light drizzle of rain. The sound of the life around him.

He heard a dog bark, realizing it was probably Kurama, Naruto's monster. It looked more beast than pet, but if that were the case Salem wouldn't be stupid enough to hang around him. Naruto didn't seem like someone that would keep something dangerous around, both him and his dog were all bark and no bite.

Unlike Suigetsu, he would attack without warning. You were supposed to already know what you did wrong.

_What's that sound? _

Suigetsu was like a snake, he would watch and wait for you to make a mistake and then strike. Walk into a trap, and you were the prey that had no warning or idea of the fatal mistake you had just made. Sasuke contemplated which option was worse; being oblivious to the attack, or being fully aware you had triggered your own destruction. There was no median; you either did what you were told or you suffered. Suigetsu could have you in the hospital before you could think of any way to escape his or his sadistic gang's clutches. He'd heard hushed talk about them talking doctors into killing victims that had escaped death somehow by their own hands. It wasn't like many people escaped Oto. Their gang leader knew exactly what he wanted, who had it, and how to get it. If you were lucky, you wouldn't even know what happened.

Suigetsu had no regard for human life, not even for the people he was supposed to care about. That's what frightened Sasuke. He was in more danger than anyone, being so close to the inexorable teenager. Kids were supposed to hold on to innocence for as long as they could, to love and care about people despite differences, why did that have to change when you grew up? Sometimes people seemed to sell their soul to the devil in exchange for the power that hatred brought them. If you hated someone, you couldn't be hurt by them and no one could betray you.

_It's getting louder._

Maybe that's what he was doing wrong. He had loved Suigetsu. He wasn't sure what he felt towards him, at that moment. He feared him, but did he not love him anymore? The person he'd begun to fall for wasn't the same person Suigetsu was now. He was almost sure someone had replaced Suigetsu with someone else. If you loved someone, you let them hurt you, that's how relationships worked. But, there were different types of love. He loved his brother, and he took the suffering to keep Itachi out of harm's way. Suigetsu would kill the eldest Uchiha if Sasuke left him, to punish him. To take away the last thing he had. He had loved his parents, and they had left him. He had no one to protect him now, and he had to live a lie to protect his brother and keep him alive.

But, would he lie about that being the only reason? He still cared about Suigetsu… It was a grievous feeling to know he wished his abuser would turn back to the boy he had known before. Before the violence, the possession and jealousy and control and the _hate. _Suigetsu acted like Sasuke was the most execrable creature to live.

_Stupid. Ugly. Useless. Worthless. Fat. Pale. Slut. Idiot. _

The words rang through his mind like a mantra, each one hitting like a ricocheting bullet. If you're repeatedly told something, you will begin to think it is true.

Itachi was utterly blind to the peril they both lived through daily. It was as if he were playing a survival game. One wrong turn, one mistake, and it was over. Only this was reality, and he wouldn't get a second chance.

_It's almost deafening._

Sasuke was a caged bird, and he had built the prison himself. If he tried to free himself, he would break his wings. If he sang, he was silenced. If he broke out… He was shot. Was it better to be trapped, or to die? Was it easier to be dead and lay in an abyss of nothing, or to be a prisoner where you're watching life move by without you?

He had been the one to piece together this cage of steel. Touch the bars and he was shocked back to brutal reality. There was no door, only the bars to see past and watch the world move by while you were stuck on hold. Maybe he was already dead.

It was then he realized the sound was the pounding of his own heart.

_Your touch used to be so kind_

_Your touch used to give me life_

_I've waited all this time_

_I've wasted so much time_

* * *

**AUTHORESS NOTE:**

**Wow I'm in a dark, somber state of mind tonight huh? **

**Lyrics are Skillet, Falling Inside the Black. **

**I tried to use this chapter to fill in a couple of blanks. I like information. There will of course be more later on, but for now you have what you need. I'm not interested in a **_**lot**_** of suspense in this story. So, this was the filler chapter. There will be no more filler chapters. **

**Another reason I did this was to rope together another thing I wanted to put in the story, but I'll mention that in another note when we're at that point. **

**My father often says "Give me liberty or give me death." And I agree with it, but I also believe in waiting. Wait for your chance and then fight for it. I've learned before if you're patient enough, they won't suspect your strike. **

**There will be another chapter some point today, I won't leave you without action. I just need to brainstorm a bit. Get my thoughts and plots in order.  
**


	6. Free Fall

It had been a few days since the…incident, with Naruto and Suigetsu, as Sasuke considered it to be. He hadn't heard from his boyfriend since and he was beginning to worry that something bad was going to happen; Suigetsu was never up to anything good, and to just not stop by for more than a day was cause to be concerned. Suigetsu rarely went without a day of seeing Sasuke. The raven almost thought it was an obsession, had he not known better. Obsessions were over something you loved.

Sasuke stared listlessly out of the window as he sat at the kitchen table, watching the rain as it tried to cleanse the earth of its sins. He hadn't moved for almost two hours, when Itachi walked downstairs he glanced at his younger brother, eyes narrowing at the blank expression. "What's the matter?" He asked, eyebrows raising when Sasuke jumped slightly, startled by the sudden break of silence. He turned to look at Itachi, looking as if he had been woken from a deep dream.

"Nothing, I'm just daydreaming." Sasuke replied, clearing his throat and standing up. He immediately felt the world tilt sideways, quickly reaching out to place his hand on the counter and regain his balance. He brought one hand to his forehead in hopes to cease the dizziness that suddenly clouded his consciousness. He pulled away from the hand that touched his shoulder, feeling a twinge of guilt as he did so. "I'm fine." He said firmly, looking up at Itachi to prove the fact. The elder looked down at him, his expression void of emotion and keeping his thoughts hidden, the silence made Sasuke a bit more defensive than he should have been.

"I'm fine, Itachi. I just stood too quickly." He muttered, nudging past his brother and going into the living room. He sat on the floor with his back against the couch, tilting his head back and closing his eyes to return back to the realm of daydreaming. Often your dreams were much better than the reality you had to face. He wondered what his life would be like right then, had he not met Suigetsu. What it would have been like had his parents not died. Would he have turned out different? Perhaps so, maybe he would be more relaxed.

He listened apathetically as Itachi prepared for work, the routine was even familiar to him at this point. He didn't move when Itachi knelt slightly to press a kiss to his forehead, letting out a deep sigh as Itachi left. He loved his brother, he honestly did, yet… He was starting to feel distanced from him. As if a wall was being built between them; though he had the nagging feeling it was himself that was putting it up. He wasn't sure why, and he wasn't sure how to take them down.

He shivered violently, looking up as someone knocked on the door. He swallowed the bitter plethora of emotions down and locked them inside of the same box he'd used to hide them for years. He shakily pushed himself off the ground, momentarily losing his balance he reached out and held onto the couch. He shook his head to rid himself of the sudden bout of vertigo, sighing wearily. The last thing he needed was to become sick. Once he was sure he could walk without sending himself straight to the floor, he made his way to the door and unlocked it, not expecting to be vehemently shoved backward. In the three seconds it took his attacker to shut and lock the door again, he hadn't gathered his senses to move. He bitterly wondered why he was so slow as of late, it was as if he couldn't muster the energy for even simple tasks.

"You wanna tell me why you're hangin' around that blonde kid so much?" He slowly gazed up at the familiar venomous voice, meeting odious violet eyes. Suigetsu had pinned both of his wrists down at his sides, pushing him against the wall harder when he lingered before answering. His mind was blank for a moment, trying to gather the words his mouth needed to say. "I've only been around him once or twice Suigetsu, it's not like you can expect me to avoid him completely. He works with my brother and lives right across the street." Sasuke's voice was monotonous, unwilling to waste emotion on Suigetsu. Emotion cost energy, and those prices were getting too high.

He cringed when Suigetsu leaned closer, forcing his body weight onto the lither boy. Sasuke managed not to flinch as he met Suigetsu's eyes, the other boy barely an inch from his face. "Watch your fucking mouth." He snarled, anger in his eyes and voice. Sasuke's lips curled in distaste, noticing the strong scent of alcohol. Suigetsu had been drinking, probably the entire night with some of his other deplorable friends.

"Let go." Sasuke said calmly, knowing his best bet was to attempt to remain as rational as possible. On the other hand, nothing was ever easy. He was relieved when his arms were released, but it was short-lived as Suigetsu backhanded him. The force sent him to the ground, and he knew instantly he was in a dangerous situation. He hardly was able to stand his own against the larger male when he was at his best; he didn't have a chance in hell in this arbitrary onslaught of weakness. He tried to bring his arms up to protect his face, pain erupting in his leg as Suigetsu kicked him. It wasn't hard, he supposed, but it was enough to hurt him. That was the only goal Suigetsu had right then.

"Get up." The white-haired boy sneered, growling when Sasuke took a second too long to respond, sending another harsh kick into Sasuke's side. The Uchiha felt his breath knocked out of him, leaving him with a feeling of suffocation as he tried to force his lungs to take in oxygen. Suigetsu grabbed his wrist, jerking him up so hard he momentarily wondered if his arm had been torn off his body.

"Don't ever tell me what to do, you got that?" Suigetsu spat, smirking at Sasuke's sharp nod, his breathing still too frenetic to speak. Suigetsu roughly pulled his arm sideways, causing Sasuke to fall to the ground again. "Bitch." Suigetsu hissed, turning and walking back out of the door. Sasuke's breathing was shallow as he lay motionlessly, attempting to regain control of his heart rate and allow the pain wracking his form to dissipate. It was a vain attempt he realized, as the ache continued to linger. He knew he didn't have any broken bones, as he could move without unbearable pain, though his body still protested against it.

He sluggishly pushed himself onto his knees, using the door knob to help him maintain his steadiness as he stood up. He held an arm across his abdomen as he went into the living room, letting himself fall onto the couch; thankful he didn't completely miss or roll onto the ground. He reached up to the small table beside the couch, grabbing a bottle of pills. He swallowed three, hoping they kicked in quickly enough. Medicine was growing to be of no help to him. It took too long to work and the effects were too short.

He sighed shakily, closing his eyes. He was… _Exhausted._ It was almost debilitating how horrible it was. Nausea and light-headedness plagued him to the point he didn't want to move. He hadn't thrown up, so he supposed that was good. He winced when a short but sharp pain began in his chest. He placed his hand over his heart, confused by it. The ache had begun two days prior, but he thought it was the normal pains you got where you were supposed to breathe deeply and it would stop. This pain didn't, it persisted for a few minutes before dying down.

He jumped when someone knocked, irrational fear boiling in his stomach, though it was momentary as he knew it wasn't his boyfriend. He wouldn't come back so shortly and the knock wasn't impatient. He slowly dragged himself to his feet, finding the action nearly onerous. He watched Salem dart past him, pacing in front of the door. He raised a brow, opening the door to be greeted with a cheerful smile and impossibly blue eyes. He probably should have guessed Salem would have been happy to see only one person.

"Hey, I get off earlier than your brother does and he wanted me to give you this." Naruto handed Sasuke a small envelope, which Sasuke stared at a second before realizing it was probably documents from his high school about the exams. Things often were sent to Itachi's office, for some reason. He thanked Naruto, watching Salem as she impatiently head-butted Naruto's leg, asking for attention. She obviously wanted the blonde to come inside, as she still sat in the doorway. Sasuke exhaled slowly, absent mindedly inviting Naruto inside. He had a habit of thinking it was rude to wave off someone like a friend or neighbor anyway, something he probably picked up from his polite sibling. Besides, the house was quiet and he had a nagging feeling he didn't want to be alone. Naruto's grin broadened, almost making Sasuke want to smile himself.

"Sure!" Naruto walked inside, scooping Salem off the floor to pet her. Sasuke heard a frustrated bark as he shut the door, an imperceptible smile crossing his face for a second. Naruto's dog obviously was jealous. He handed Naruto a drink, feeling strangely at ease. He liked the comfortable feeling, but wasn't sure how to place it.

He stood, opening the envelope and briefly reading it. He had math, reading, science and language exams. He thought they were pointless, but couldn't really argue. He looked up when Naruto began to speak. "Sasuke, I don't want to offend you or anything, but you look kind of… Not good…" Naruto said, having set the drink and cat down; one of which was unhappy about it.

Sasuke put the envelope on the bookcase behind him, shaking his head. "I'm fine." He replied, but even he could hear the strain in his voice. He felt the lightheaded weakness return, hitting him like a train. He brought one hand to his forehead as a headache began, the slight pain in his chest suddenly seeming far more threatening than it had before. He heard Naruto say his name, but he couldn't speak. He felt the world beneath him completely vanish, the feeling of falling making his heart and breathing begin to race. He barely registered someone catching him before he collapsed onto the floor, the last thing he heard were buttons being dialed and a frantic voice telling him to stay awake.

"You'll be okay, Sasuke!"

_No… I won't. _

* * *

**AUTHORESS NOTE:**

**Yeah I lied last chapter, I contracted a case of writer's block. **

**I got very sweet reviews for the last chapter, thank you very much. But to address an anonymous review that's not worth showing; thank you for reminding me I hadn't put OOC in the warnings, I don't know how I missed that. I meant for this story to be OOC in every way; that was actually the point of the story; to catch the sides we never saw in characters. And for me to have fun, of course. I don't have entirely as much excitement writing them completely in-character. I've done it before and it's laborious, so it's more enjoyable to push them a bit out of their character-zone**

**And to make something clear; Itachi would more than likely take this to the police rather than beat up a teenager, seeing as this is set in our world and Itachi was both a pacifist that hated needless violence and an intelligent person with common sense. If it was about protecting Sasuke he wouldn't beat Suigetsu up, that would cause more problems, land Itachi in jail, and leave Sasuke without anyone. If he had seen Suigetsu hit Sasuke he **_**probably**_** would have knocked him out and claim self-defense; but as I said, he has never seen Suigetsu violent or even utter a rude word to Sasuke, he only thinks he is a bad influence. Regardless of that, Sasuke is stubborn and probably wouldn't obey Itachi's orders to leave Suigetsu anyway should Itachi say that. **

**Glad to clear that up. Thank you, "NotWorthLogginIn." **


	7. Don't Speak

_Can't breathe. Lungs are on fire. Can't breathe. I'm freezing._

_Black water surrounded him like oblivion, trying to drag him lower away from the oxygen he desperately needed. His head hurt. Had someone hit him? _

_Can't move. Can't breathe. Water too cold. _

_He looked up, the water continuing to pull him farther away from the sky. Familiar violet eyes stared back, emotion completely erased from his expression. He tried to reach up, to say something, water filled his mouth instead of his voice. _

_Why won't he help me? _

_He watched a smirk spread across Suigetsu's lips. "I told you I wouldn't let you love anyone else."_

_What does he mean?_

_He watched Suigetsu walk away, the water stealing his vision. Darkness surrounded him and filled him, fire burned in his chest._

_Is he really going to let me die? _

_He let the water take him lower, giving in to its murderous intent. He couldn't feel his heart beating anymore. _

_Not breathing._

* * *

"_Ugh…" _Drowsy onyx eyes fluttered open, wincing at the bright lights. Sasuke tried to recall where he was, he could hear something beeping quickly somewhere off to his right. He swallowed dryly, confusion clouding his mind. What happened? He couldn't remember anything, bits and pieces of certain memories flashed past the backs of his eyes. "Hey… Glad to see you're awake." A soft, relieved voice sent a wave of calmness through him. He recognized it. He looked up, warm blue eyes meeting his. Naruto was sitting beside him in a chair facing the bed he was lying in. Bed?

"Where am I?" Sasuke murmured, not having the energy to make his voice any louder. He still felt tired, though he didn't feel that ache in his chest. "You're in the hospital. How do you feel?" Sasuke's eyebrows furrowed in confusion, trying to recall what happened. "You passed out yesterday. An ambulance brought you to the hospital, they said you're going to be okay and it wasn't serious. Itachi is talking to the doctor outside." Sasuke turned his head to look at the clock hanging on the wall, it read nine o' clock in the morning.

"Sasuke…" The raven looked at Naruto when his name was called. He looked worried, making Sasuke go on edge. Naruto's eyes searched him for a minute. "Have you been eating anything?" Sasuke inhaled slowly, his memory returning full force. He'd been with Naruto yesterday when the pain hit him again, he'd fainted. He blinked, his mind going completely blank. He couldn't think of a lie to tell Naruto.

He slowly shook his head, expecting a barrage of questions and chastisement. He was caught off guard when Naruto reached up, taking his hand in an almost reassuring manner. Sasuke looked at him in confusion, but Naruto didn't look pitying or even disgusted. Sasuke was unsure what to say, so he didn't. He didn't pull his hand away from Naruto's, even though he knew he should have. It was an innocent gesture, so he knew he wasn't doing anything wrong, and he felt calmer. As if he wasn't completely alone.

He looked up when the door opened, a male doctor and Itachi walked inside. Itachi looked surprised before utter relief came over his expression. He walked beside the bed, kissing Sasuke on the temple. "How do you feel, otouto?" He asked, eyes concerned. Sasuke felt a bit bad then, for worrying Itachi and making him miss work. "Fine, just tired." He replied shortly, looking towards the doctor when he began to speak. "You can leave soon if you feel like you can walk and function normally. We've given you an I.V. and you are rehydrated. You need to begin eating properly and healthily, to give your body the nutrients it needs." He told Sasuke, voice firm though his eyes remained understanding.

Sasuke nodded, not flinching as the needle was taken from his arm and a bandage put on. Needles didn't hurt nearly as much as they did when he was little, he wondered why that was. He was given privacy so he could redress, he sluggishly did so, finding himself vaguely nervous about going home. In the hospital he knew he was relatively safe, but at home he would have to deal with Suigetsu. What was worse is Itachi was going to be home, which only created more tension.

He walked out of the room, Naruto was leaning against the wall and Itachi was signing papers at the reception desk. He felt weak, but it wasn't horrible and he could walk just fine. He noticed Naruto walked close to him, but he probably should have expected the blonde to be worried about him fainting again. They stopped at the desk, Sasuke leaned against it with a quiet sigh. He wanted to sleep, but he knew Itachi was going to practically force him to eat something when they got home. He wasn't going to argue, he hadn't purposely meant to starve his body. He'd only…forgotten to eat. That was the only thing he could say.

He jumped slightly when a woman spoke almost right beside him. "Naruto, are you ready?" He looked up as a woman walked up to them, she had pink hair and was wearing nurse scrubs. Naruto nodded, giving her his usual bright grin. "Yeah, thanks for the ride. Oh, Sasuke, this is my friend Sakura." Sasuke nodded at her politely, she gave him a friendly smile. "Hello. I hope you're feeling better." She said, causing him to wonder if she knew he'd been sick or just assumed so because he was in the hospital. "I'll start the car." She told Naruto, walking out.

Naruto turned back to Sasuke, chuckling lightly at his confused expression. "She was the nurse that did your tests and everything, she's been working here for about a year." Sasuke nodded his understanding. "I'll see you later, all right? Take care." Naruto followed after Sakura, leaving Sasuke with his thoughts. He was startled when someone placed a hand on his shoulder, quickly turning around. "You've been incredibly jumpy lately." Itachi commented with raised brows. "Well, sneaking up on someone is going to make them jump." Sasuke said dryly, causing Itachi to chuckle. "I suppose so. We can leave now, the doctor wants you to rest today." Sasuke nodded absentmindedly, walking with Itachi to the parking lot and getting into his car.

As soon as they pulled out of the hospital, the storm hit.

"Sasuke, why haven't you been eating?" Itachi's voice wasn't angry, but Sasuke could tell he was at least confused, perhaps exasperated. He would be too, considering Itachi had enough to deal with without him causing more problems. Sasuke didn't answer for a moment, because he couldn't think of one. He wasn't sure why he hadn't eaten, honestly. "I just didn't." He knew the second the words had left his lips that was the wrong answer. Itachi glanced at him, not giving him any signs of what he was thinking.

"Sasuke… What's wrong?" The younger disliked the tone Itachi had. It was determined. "Nothing is wrong, I've just been busy and never got hungry." It was partially true, he hadn't felt hunger in almost a week. "Otouto, don't lie to me. We both know you've been acting differently. You don't just stop getting hungry or forget to eat." Sasuke clenched his hands into fists, not once looking at his brother. "I said nothing was wrong. Drop it." Even he knew his tone was harsh, but he was sick of being questioned. Itachi sighed slowly, shaking his head. He pulled into their driveway, but locked the door so Sasuke couldn't get out. Sasuke on reflex turned and gave Itachi a hateful look.

"I'm your brother, Sasuke. If something is wrong you know you can tell me." Sasuke hated that. He hated when Itachi acted like he was a parent and could protect him and make everything better. He couldn't make problems go away. "I'm fine. Now let it go." Itachi didn't react to the icy tone, but he sighed and unlocked the door, letting Sasuke out. The younger stormed out and into the house, instinctively heading to his room; he stopped before going upstairs, cursing under his breath before changing his mind and going into the kitchen. He opened the cabinet and took out some rice, putting it in a pot with water to cook. He didn't look at Itachi as the elder walked into the kitchen. He felt guilt nibbling at his heart, but he internally slapped it away.

If he was ever going to get Itachi to leave him alone then he had to be cold. He couldn't let Itachi inside the walls anymore. He put the rice in a bowl when it was done, nibbling slowly. After the first bite he realized how hungry he really was, practically inhaling the rest, he washed the dishes and retreated to his room. He picked up a book, hoping to waste the day reading. He had nothing else to do, really.

He jumped when someone knocked at the door downstairs, nearly dropping the book. He tried to listen carefully, biting his lip as he heard Itachi open it. He could recognize Suigetsu's voice, but couldn't decipher the words spoken. Itachi sounded annoyed, closing the door a minute later. After a few seconds it became apparent Itachi hadn't let him in and Sasuke released a breath he hadn't known he'd been holding. He had to live in fear to protect himself and his brother. A voice in the back of his mind tried to bother him, he shut it down; but he always heard it echo.

_You're not really living anymore. _

* * *

**AUTHORESS NOTE: **

**I don't care that it's not interesting, I had to put up a chapter and just can't think. And no, Sakura isn't in love with Sasuke in this story, I've different ideas for her.**

**So I'm not an expert on eating problems therefore I did a bit of research to learn certain symptoms of not eating. I wasn't sure anyone noticed since they hadn't commented on it, but without being overtly obvious I did say Sasuke had been telling people he wasn't hungry and I was trying to loop in symptoms of not getting the nutrition the body needs. But to clear something up; he isn't anorexic, no, I don't mean for that to be a part of the story. I have reasons behind that. **

**Also wasn't gonna have a lot of Naruto this chapter but I had a… Really twisted dream about the Narutoverse last night and am having serious moments of bad déjà vu with both Itachi and Naruto but I wanted some sweetness in the story to clear up that nightmare.**


	8. Caged

Sasuke leaned his back against the wall as he sat on the bed, slowly eating the bowl of fruit Itachi had given to him and ordered him to finish. He'd thought of tossing the food out of the window, but as he took a couple of bites he realized how ravenous his body truly was. How had he not noticed before, what he was doing to himself? He'd never even noticed the hunger; hell, he hadn't even noticed he wasn't eating. It just seemed like it had become unimportant.

He glanced up when the door to his room opened, Itachi walked inside, presumably to make sure Sasuke really was eating. Sasuke popped the last berry into his mouth and handed the bowl to his brother, grunting in disapproval when Salem hopped into his lap. "Come downstairs, you've been caged in your room for the better part of two days. You're turning into a recluse." Itachi said flatly as he exited the room.

Sasuke sighed, not finding a valid reason to get out of the room when there was nothing to do. Nonetheless, he decided to push himself up before Itachi chose to come back and drag him outside. He put Salem on the floor before walking down the stairs, rubbing his temples to get rid of the mild flashes of dizziness he occasionally felt when he stood up. The doctor had told him those would begin to go away once he regulated his blood sugar.

Itachi smiled lightly when Sasuke walked into the kitchen. "I was starting to think you had forgotten how to walk." He said seriously, though his eyes held good humor; Sasuke twisted his mouth to the side, not amused. "I have to go back to work today, do you think you'll be okay?" Itachi looked displeased at needing to go back to work so soon after Sasuke's emergency trip to the hospital, but he couldn't afford losing the job.

"Yes, brother. You don't need to babysit me, I'll be fine." Sasuke found that statement a bit of a lie, seeing as Itachi apparently did need to babysit him or else he wouldn't have gone to the hospital to begin with. Itachi pursed his lips, sighing slowly.

"If you're sure. Call me if you feel something is wrong, all right? Naruto will probably keep a look out as well. He asked me how you were, yesterday." Sasuke arched a brow, he hadn't heard anything yesterday. He felt a little embarrassed at having forced so much responsibility onto Naruto that day.

Itachi kissed Sasuke's forehead before leaving the kitchen, Sasuke listened as the door closed and Itachi's car started. He leaned heavily against the counter, chewing on his lip in thought. Naruto was really nice, but he didn't have to be. He remembered Naruto had been the one sitting beside him at the hospital, as if he'd been there the entire time.

He wasn't sure how to feel about it; sure, he appreciated it. But he wasn't used to it. He thought of Suigetsu then, wondering if his boyfriend had known he'd been hospitalized. He wasn't sure Itachi would have told him, and if he hadn't Suigetsu was probably bound to be pissed that Sasuke had basically been ignoring him the past few days.

He started when someone knocked at the door, using one hand on the counter to steady himself before walking to the door to answer it. He could tell it wasn't Suigetsu, because he simply banged on the door in impatience. He opened the door, mildly surprised to see Naruto standing there, his dog sitting quietly by his feet though his tail was waving back and forth in the air enthusiastically. "Hey." Naruto said, smiling his familiar, cheerful grin.

"Itachi just passed us a little ways down the street, I asked him how you were. You feel okay?" Naruto asked with a tilt of his head. Sasuke nodded, clearing his throat so he could speak. "Yeah, I'm fine." He replied, leaning against the doorframe. "Thanks." He said, looking up at the older teenager, they both knew there was a deeper meaning to the word. Naruto's smile softened as he shook his head.

"You don't have to thank me. I'm just glad you're all right, it was kinda scary seeing you pass out like that." He scratched the back of his head. Sasuke chuckled under his breath, he'd imagine so, seeing someone just faint like that.

"Kurama and I were just out for a walk, he has some energy to burn off. You can come if you want." Sasuke hesitated, but after a few days of being stuck inside he thought it might be refreshing. Besides, the hospital had said to him that he should walk a little bit and get his body back to normal.

"Sure." He finally said, stepping out and closing the door behind him. Naruto's eyes lit up. "Great!" He said, Kurama gave a small bark as if agreeing with his owner. Sasuke couldn't stifle a smirk of amusement at Naruto's constant happiness. He was like a child in an adult's body.

As they walked down the street, Kurama nudged Sasuke's hand, earning a scratch behind his pointed ears. "He's usually really cold to people, I'm surprised he likes you so much." Naruto said as he glanced down. Sasuke shrugged, thinking Kurama probably only smelled Salem on him.

"Probably because animals like those calm, quiet people. They like the relaxing personality." Naruto said, stretching his arms up as he spoke. Sasuke blinked at hearing that, raising a brow. "They seem to like you, yet you're the complete opposite of calm." He said flatly.

"Hey!" Naruto said rather loudly, turning to look at Sasuke. "I am perfectly calm!" Sasuke rolled his eyes. Naruto stuck his tongue out at the raven, earning a mocking smirk. "Says the man yelling in the middle of the sidewalk." Naruto huffed at hearing that, folding his arms over his chest with a pouting glint in his eyes.

"Yeah well… You're mean." He replied. Sasuke chuckled at the childish answer, shaking his head. He felt more relaxed than he had in days, surprisingly, Naruto was usually the type of person he'd avoid. Loud and exuberant, this often equaled to annoying. Yet, it was a pleasant change, he wouldn't deny that. Kurama barked suddenly, looking straight ahead. Sasuke looked up, not seeing anything or anyone in the streets.

"He probably thought he heard something." Naruto brushed it off, turning back around as they reached the end of the sidewalk. Sasuke lingered for a moment as he stared towards where Kurama had been looking, though he shook his head and chalked it up to what Naruto had said. "Yeah, probably just the wind." He murmured in agreement.

Naruto chuckled then, causing Sasuke to turn to look at him. "You know how dogs can be. They hear a cat or something a mile away and they act like it's the end of the world." Sasuke felt a small smile adorn his lips, almost annoyed with how easily Naruto could get him to smile, as if it were nothing. He looked up when Kurama pulled on his leash, seeing they were already back home. Salem was sitting on the windowsill, her eyes focused on Kurama as he tried to pull free of the leash that Naruto kept a tight grip on. "Stop it!" Naruto said in exasperation.

Sasuke rolled his eyes, silently thinking Kurama was exactly like Naruto, full of energy. "Talk to you later, I'll take him home before he tries to bust through your window." Naruto said as they parted ways, Sasuke waved in goodbye before walking up his driveway. He glanced at Salem as the cat watched him walk inside. "You should stop teasing that dog." He reprimanded sarcastically. She blinked innocently.

Sasuke kicked his shoes off, wandering into the kitchen to find something small to eat, reminding himself of the necessary task. He found a box of granola bars, unwrapping one and beginning to nibble on it. Salem hopped onto the counter to curiously see what it was Sasuke had. Itachi would have immediately pushed her back onto the ground, but Sasuke didn't care. Cats weren't going to stay on the floor.

Sasuke had barely finished the granola bar before he heard an insistent banging at the door. He swallowed anxiously as he threw the wrapper away, wiping his hands on his jeans. He glanced at the clock as he went to the door, it was only a couple of hours before Itachi would return home. As he opened the door he was surprised to find one of Suigetsu's friends standing there, his silver hair tied back into a ponytail.

"What are you doing here, Kabuto?" Sasuke asked monotonously as he looked the man up and down. Kabuto smirked, putting Sasuke on edge. "I saw you and your little friend together a few minutes ago. You seem to get along really well, hm?" His tone was lined with derisiveness, Sasuke's eyes narrowed in suspicion.

"I don't really know him, so I couldn't tell you. " He crossed his arms over his chest, wanting to know what the point of this was. His eyes were filled with resentment, wanting Kabuto to get off his property before Itachi showed up. He was only here to frighten Sasuke, and the raven knew it; Suigetsu's entire gang probably knew him.

"Shame, I'm sure Suigetsu will want to know too." Sasuke's jaw clenched at hearing the game Kabuto was trying to play. "He's not fool enough to believe you. I've only known that blonde for a short while." Sasuke said sharply. Kabuto turned around, smirk still firmly set on his lips. "You shouldn't keep secrets from your boyfriend, Sasuke. It isn't nice." Sasuke slammed the door shut, leaning against it as he ran a hand through his hair. Were they stalking him now?

He shook his head, surely Kabuto wouldn't bother telling Suigetsu about him merely talking to his own neighbor. Hell, the guy had probably saved his life, he had a right to talk him. Didn't he? He cursed under his breath, knowing Kabuto would probably weave a lie out of what had happened.

He could already hear the fuse being lit.

* * *

**AUTHORESS NOTE:**

**I almost cried. I have **_**over **_**one hundred followers on this story. I remember seeing I was close to getting a hundred and then freaking out when I finally did, and people are **_**still**_** following! You'll never understand how much this means to me, thank you so, so much for the support! It's the first story to get one hundred follows! **


	9. Panic

Sasuke hadn't moved in at least a few hours, Itachi was beginning to think he was paralyzed. He'd woken up at four this morning due to a rather loud thunderstorm and had walked downstairs, unable to fall back asleep.

Sasuke had been sitting on the couch, when he asked the younger if he'd gone to bed at all Sasuke shook his head no. Itachi sighed, wondering why his brother seemed so different lately. He was much quieter and withdrawn, and if Itachi had to choose he'd say Sasuke acted a little anxious.

Sasuke sat still, entranced in his own world. A painful feeling gnawed at his heart, making him unable to sleep. He wasn't sure why he felt so sick; well, perhaps he did, but he refused to acknowledge it. He slowly looked up when Itachi's voice shattered the veil of his thoughts.

"Did you say something?" Sasuke asked, noticing Itachi's eyes narrow. "I said I'm leaving for work, are you okay?" He repeated the words. Sasuke nodded robotically, realizing he had to be more convincing if he wanted his older brother to believe him. "Yeah, I've just been having trouble sleeping lately. It's nothing serious."

He told Itachi with as much energy as he could muster. Dark, skeptical eyes watched him for a moment before Itachi finally turned away. Sasuke relaxed his tense posture, his head tilting back to rest on the arm of the chair.

He didn't flinch when Itachi pressed a light kiss to his forehead. "Try to get some rest, the last thing you need to do is exhaust yourself." He said before taking his leave. Sasuke turned to look after his brother, Itachi's name freezing on his lips as he nearly called it out.

He wanted to race back after Itachi and tell him that he wasn't all right, that he was sick, something that would make Itachi stay at home with him. He knew Suigetsu was coming here today, and he had no doubt that he was going to be _pissed. _

Sasuke crossed his arms over his stomach, forcing himself to remain frozen in place until he heard Itachi's car drive off. He wasn't a child now, he wasn't going to rely on Itachi to take care of him anymore. He was fine on his own. Besides, how long could he run from his problem anyway?

He stood up slowly, as if his joints had forgotten how to function properly as he sluggishly walked into the kitchen. Salem purred at his feet as she watched him with emerald eyes; he had tried to let her outside, but she flat refused to leave his side. It was like she sensed he was upset.

He looked inside the refrigerator, choosing an apple and hoping he could stomach it. He took the core out of the apple before eating it, his movements were on autopilot, as if a small voice were telling him what to do. "Okay Sasuke, first you have to take a bite. Now chew, and then swallow. Take another bite."

He washed his hands when he finished off what he wanted of the fruit, glancing at Salem when she turned to look towards the door. He felt dread ice over his heart, moments later he heard a loud banging at the door. He hesitated, hoping he could trick Suigetsu into believing he wasn't home. He gave up before even a second could pass, knowing the other wouldn't fall for it. Sasuke had nowhere to go.

He nudged Salem into the hallway before sighing heavily as he walked to the door. He opened it, being greeted with cold violet eyes. Suigetsu didn't even speak before he pushed Sasuke backwards so his back hit the wall behind him; the door shut as Suigetsu stepped inside, giving Sasuke a choleric glare.

"Where've you been? Your brother wouldn't even let me inside the other day." Suigetsu demanded, placing one hand beside Sasuke's shoulder, blocking his chance to move away. "I was at the hospital, Suigetsu. It's taken a few days to recover." He said in a firm voice, Suigetsu preyed on fear and that was something Sasuke wasn't going to give to him.

Suigetsu's eyes narrowed, as if he didn't believe Sasuke. "Why were you in the hospital, huh?" He asked, not moving as he caged Sasuke against the wall. Sasuke swallowed, gathering his words in his mind. He didn't know what to tell Suigetsu. He would be infuriated if he knew Sasuke had basically put himself in the emergency room. "I fainted, an ambulance was called. They said I had low blood sugar." He twisted the truth slightly. Suigetsu leaned back a bit then, but a dangerous glint flashed in his eyes.

"You're a fucking liar." Sasuke blinked, clenching his hands. "I'm not lying to you. You can ask my brother if you don't think I'm telling the truth." Suigetsu suddenly grabbed his jaw, silencing him. "I know you were with that asshole across the street yesterday. Who the fuck do you think you are?" He hissed bitterly.

Sasuke's eyes widened a fraction in shock. "He asked if I wanted to walk his dog with him, the hospital told me I should try to get a little exercise so I decided I'd go. Nothing happened Suigetsu, I barely know him!" The words grew frantic as Suigetsu's grip tightened. Suigetsu gave a deriding scoff.

"You think I believe that crap? Kabuto told me exactly what happened. You were practically glued to that blonde bastard." _Damn him! _Sasuke should have known better. Of course Kabuto would tell a convincing story. After all, sadism seemed to run through all of their veins.

Suigetsu kneed Sasuke in the stomach, knocking the breath out of him. Sasuke slid to the ground, coughing slightly to try to regain his breath. "Kabuto is lying to you! All we did was walk down the street and back, we hardly even spoke!" Sasuke said hoarsely, wincing when Suigetsu gripped his wrist and yanked him off of the floor, nearly dislocating his shoulder.

"Stop hanging around him. You belong to me, you understand?" Suigetsu growled against Sasuke's ear. Sasuke swallowed his words, nodding slowly in response. "Good. Next time I hear you've been with him, I'll make this seem like it was _nothing_."

He hissed the last word, roughly turning Sasuke's chin so the raven was facing him. Sasuke went rigid as Suigetsu kissed him, bruising his lips. Sharp teeth nipped his lower lip, forcing him to open his mouth and give Suigetsu access. He felt repulsion swirl in his abdomen as Suigetsu's tongue forced its way inside, pushing his own tongue down as Suigetsu violated his mouth.

He squirmed in protest when he felt Suigetsu's hand slide beneath his shirt, adrenaline exploding inside of him in a burst of disgust. Suigetsu didn't let him move much, his hand paused on Sasuke's hip. He broke the kiss with a bite to Sasuke's lower lip, drawing blood.

"I have something to take care of, so I can't stay and play around with you today. I'll see you later, baby." The nickname left Suigetsu's lips in a bitterly sweet lie. Sasuke refrained from gasping in pain when Suigetsu pecked his lips goodbye, his body still tense even as Suigetsu opened the door and left.

He took a step forward to go to the living room, collapsing straight onto the floor on his hands and knees. Salem darted into the living room and into the short hallway where the doorway was, meowing loudly in protest as Sasuke remained immobile on the floor.

He didn't hear her, his heart beginning to race painfully fast. His breathing became shallow to the point he could hardly get enough air. He felt his body begin to shiver, unknowingly digging his nails into his palms as he stared at the ground.

He was confused as to why this was happening, but he couldn't stop it. He was gasping for air as an aching feeling of anxiety filled his being. He felt dizzy, incapable of moving or slowing his breath. He thought he was going to pass out if he didn't manage to stop it.

"Ah!" He breathed in pain when a sharp sting burst across his hand, snapping him harshly out of the trance. He looked down to see scratch marks on his skin, Salem stared at him with wide, startlingly intelligent eyes.

He blinked as he looked at her, rubbing his hand slowly and making the mild wound burn. His heart calmed to a natural pace and his lungs were no longer on fire as he took slow, deep breaths, coming back down to normal.

Salem meaningfully nudged her way to sit in his lap, Sasuke shifted to sit cross-legged with his back against the wall. He gently scratched her chin, feeling his eyes fall shut as exhaustion took its toll on him. Salem purred lowly, lulling him into a calm although deep sleep.

_Dreams are better than my reality. _

* * *

**AUTHORESS NOTE: **

**The scene with Salem was based off something that happened with my cat and I. I occasionally have panic attacks that will come out of nowhere and I have to sit down somewhere, she finds me and will force her way into my lap and pull my attention towards her. Animals are more intelligent than we often give them credit for. **

**Thank you all so much for your sweet reviews! **

**Yes, you may all viciously beat Kabuto now for getting Sasuke hurt. **


	10. Can't Talk

When Itachi came home from work, he didn't expect to see his younger brother lying on the floor. He was momentarily concerned before noticing Sasuke's breathing was normal and Salem was lying beside him seemingly unworried, coming to the realization Sasuke was merely asleep.

He had no idea why Sasuke had fallen asleep in such an odd place; he sighed as he knelt down and lifted Sasuke off the ground. Salem trotted away as Itachi carried Sasuke upstairs to his bedroom, laying Sasuke on the bed. He watched him a moment, brushing Sasuke's hair from his eyes, the younger never stirred.

Sasuke looked unbelievably peaceful, right then. It made Itachi realize how haunted the younger seemed to look lately. He wanted to find out what was bothering Sasuke so much, but with the way Sasuke shut him out sometimes it was nearly impossible.

He shook his head, walking out of the room and quietly clicking the door shut. Sasuke was a teenager going through rough times with school and entering adulthood, hopefully all of this was simply a phase that Sasuke would soon leave behind.

* * *

_Wake up!_

His mind ordered him out of his slumber like an alarm. He turned over, blinking at his clock. It read six-fifty in the morning, the sun was dragging up into the sky. He sat up, rubbing his eyes as he arched his back in a stretch. He realized then where he was, looking around his room.

"I fell asleep on the floor…" He muttered to himself. He remembered then, Itachi had probably brought him up here when he'd come home. He snorted as he stood up, thinking that probably must've been a shock to just walk in and find someone sleeping on the floor.

He slowly trudged down the stairs after he felt ready enough to deal with the day ahead. "Good morning." Itachi's voice made him look up, he gave a hum in greeting. "Don't turn into a mute before school begins."

Itachi said as he opened a folder on the table, skimming over it while Sasuke wandered into the kitchen, ignoring the sardonic statement as he opened a granola bar, practically inhaling it. He was feeling rejuvenated after he settled back into a regular eating schedule. He started slightly as Itachi suddenly reached past him, getting a granola bar of his own. The elder raised a brow at the high-strung attitude.

"I might stay late after work today, Hidan asked me to help with some of the paperwork that has piled up." Sasuke snorted, casting Itachi a mischievous look. "He probably just wants to see if he can get into your pants." He earned a cuff on the head for that, Itachi wasn't amused.

"It's work, Sasuke. Nothing more goes on between us." With that he ruffled Sasuke's hair, picking up the folder and going for the door. "Why don't you go to the library or something today? It would do you some good to get some fresh air." Sasuke mumbled something in response.

He stared out of the window, torn between going outside or staying right where he was for the entire day. He finally decided on the former, knowing he couldn't remain cooped up inside for the remainder of his school break. He would forget how to function in the outside world.

He picked up a jacket, slipping it on as he locked the house upon walking out. He inhaled the chilly air as he walked down the street, listening to the various sounds of the world as it lived on around him. His steps were light as he watched the ground pass beneath him.

He was dwelling on what Suigetsu had said yesterday, how obsessed he seemed to be with controlling who Sasuke could see. Naruto was just a friend. If even that, they barely knew each other.

_Though it feels like I've known him for weeks. _

He shook his head irately, jogging up the stairs that led up to the library. He opened the door, shivering at the sharp difference in climate change as he walked into the warm library. He nodded politely as the librarian greeted him from her place where she was putting books back onto the shelves.

He glanced around, sighing beneath his breath as he headed towards the back of the library, casually glancing at the covers of books as he walked through the aisles. He might as well pick one up, it would give him a reason to have to come back and escape his house again.

He chose an interesting looking book, the title reading up at him. _The Alchemyst, by Michael Scott. _He let the library assistant check him out, placing his library card back in his pocket. He thanked the stuttering girl, feeling bad for her obvious shyness.

He turned to leave, starting when a familiar voice called out his name, turning around quickly to look. Naruto either ran up to him or was much closer than Sasuke originally thought, because he was two steps away from Sasuke when the raven turned. A bored looking boy stood behind Naruto, his brown hair was tied up in a ponytail.

"Hi! This is Shikamaru. Shikamaru, this is Sasuke." Naruto said with his usual grin, Shikamaru lazily waved his hand in greeting. Sasuke felt a smirk tug at his lips at the amusing thought of Naruto's exuberant energy and Shikamaru's seemingly lazy nature. "What's that?" Naruto asked, nodding towards what Sasuke was holding.

"A book." Sasuke deadpanned sarcastically. Naruto gave him a _"No shit" _ expression, folding his arms. "What book is it, teme?" Sasuke raised a brow at that, stifling a glare. "The title says _The Alchemyst."_ He replied, flashing the cover of the book to Naruto.

"Cool book. You and Shikamaru would like each other, he's addicted to books." Sasuke glanced at Shikamaru as he leaned against the checkout desk. "It wouldn't kill you to read a book, Naruto." The brunette yawned, stretching his arms behind his head.

"I read! I just like other things better!" Naruto said defensively. Sasuke snorted, but his eyes shot open when he realized exactly what he was doing. "I have to go, I'm sorry." He turned to leave. "Are you sure? This asshole and I were about to find somewhere to eat, you wanna join us?"

Sasuke shook his head, chewing on his lip. "I have to get home." With that he started walking away, but he turned around and gave Naruto an amused smirk. "Bye, dobe." He heard a loud _"Hey!"_ From Naruto and a short laugh from Shikamaru that was cut off by what Sasuke assumed was Naruto punching him in the arm.

Sasuke walked swiftly down the sidewalk, hoping to avoid any other human contact as he got home. He chewed on his lower lip, forgetting about the wound Suigetsu had left until it began to bleed again. He cursed under his breath, grateful he was on his empty street.

He rushed inside his house, finding a towel to wipe the blood off. He spat into the sink to get rid of the taste, sighing heavily. Suigetsu never neglected to leave Sasuke without a reminder of him. He thought back to Naruto as he glanced at the book he'd set on the counter.

He felt guilt bubbling up inside of him, but he couldn't afford that and quickly shoved it down. He wasn't going to jeopardize himself or anyone else over a mere friendship. There was no point in it, people always come and go in life.

But there are always those few that are determined to stick.

* * *

**AUTHORESS NOTE: **

**The reason uploads have been fast is I've had a bit of alone time lately where my family has gone out, and I'm much more creative and willing to write when I'm alone. But I am trying to have faster updates where I don't wait months to upload a new chapter. I can't promise anything though, I don't want to make a promise that I know I probably can't keep. :)**

**MzPearlz: Cocoa sounds lovely! I'm glad you have such a sweet friend. I don't have them as much as I used to, and even if I do I've figured out how to handle them best. I appreciate the concern, hon. Hearts to you!**

**The Alchemyst by Michael Scott is a good book, you should read.**


	11. Terror

"_I treat you for what you're worth!" _

"_I'll teach you a lesson you'll never forget." _

"_You're worthless!" _

"_Worthless" _

_Worthless… _

* * *

Sasuke's eyes slowly opened, his mind crossing over from the nightmare and into a state of consciousness. His hands were clenched together, digging half-moons into the palms of his hands. He stared with interest at the red marks on his skin as he held his hands up. They said the human body was an amazing thing of strength and power; yet it didn't take much to damage it. He mulled over the thought until his arms were numb from being held up for so long.

He stood up, glancing into the mirror of his bathroom as he walked into it, still dressed in his clothes from yesterday. He paused, disconcerted eyes staring back at him from the mirror. He narrowed his eyes, displeased with the reflection, as it was not his. He'd never looked this tired and… His mind went adrift, unable to think of a word that described this reflection.

He resolutely refused to look into the mirror until he left the bathroom and walked into the safety of his bedroom, glancing out of the window at the turmoil of gray clouds gathering in the sky; as if they were meeting together to discuss an important matter. He walked out of his room, pausing at the top of the stairs and staring down them. He had an unusual thought then, stepping away from them as if they would pull him down. _What would falling down the stairs be like?_

He shook his head of the arbitrary thought, cautiously walking down the stairs. He rubbed his eyes, they felt as if sand had been tossed into them. His soft footsteps seemed to echo off the walls, making him realize how silent the house was. He glanced at the clock then, blinking in surprise to see it was nearly ten in the morning.

Itachi normally wouldn't have let him sleep this late. "He's feeling nice lately…" Sasuke muttered, running a hand through his tresses as he argued on whether or not to eat something. It was close enough to lunch that he should wait, yet he'd been warned about skipping any meals. He sighed at the bothersome task as he jerked open a cabinet, pulling a granola bar from the box.

He nudged Salem outside the front door as he chewed on the food, not tasting it as he swallowed. His eyes glanced around the living room as he noticed its state of disarray. Both he and Itachi had neglected trying to keep the house up lately. It was his own fault really, it was _his_ job to keep the house under some form of control while Itachi was preoccupied with work.

He swallowed the last of his breakfast, picking up a book and putting it back onto the shelf. He could at least do something other than sit on the couch and stare at the ceiling, waiting for something to happen. He switched on the vacuum cleaner, the low buzzing sound sending a shiver down his back as he vacuumed the carpeted parts of the house. He found himself a little lightheaded as he wandered into the kitchen, having finishing vacuuming. He decided to boil some rice to eat so he wouldn't end up fainting. He disinterestedly cleaned the kitchen after setting the food to cook, absently moving his body while his mind walked down a separate path.

He jumped when the timer went off, shooting the pot of boiling water and rice a glance. He tossed the broom back into the closet before taking the pot up, draining the rice into a bowl. Why was eating so important? It seemed like it should have been unnecessary to waste so much time when you only needed to eat again a few hours later.

He was just putting the dishes away when he heard a loud crash at the front door. He rolled his eyes, knowing Salem had just thrown herself against the door to tell him she wanted inside. He dried his hands on his jeans as he walked to the front door, opening it.

He looked down at the smug looking cat, shaking his head. "Get inside." He said, waiting for her to walk into the house. He pursed his lips when she glanced into the hallway, turning swiftly and walking away and down the driveway, deciding to stay outside.

Cats and their indecision. He closed the door as he walked out to check if the mail had come, stepping over Salem when she rolled onto a sunny patch of grass in the middle of his pathway. He muttered some lazy form of chastisement at her as he opened the mailbox, mildly pleased to see nothing inside. No news was good news, in his opinion.

He heard a loud sound then, like something was running. He turned sideways, barely having enough time to brace himself before a large, rusty colored form jumped. He grunted as he hit the grass on his back, glaring up at the wagging dog.

"How did you get out of your fence?" Sasuke asked crossly, placing a hand on Kurama's back to assist himself in standing up off the ground. Kurama obediently stood still, his expression looking as if he were laughing. Sasuke folded his arms, Kurama's pointed ears drooped slightly and his tail slowed as if he knew he'd done something wrong.

Sasuke pursed his lips, finally sighing with a roll of his eyes as he set a hand on top of Kurama's head. The dog barked in joy that Sasuke was no longer mad, licking Sasuke's hand. Sasuke shook his head at the over-excitable animal, glancing at Naruto's house. He knew the blonde was at work, what time was-

"Kurama!" Both Sasuke and Kurama looked up at the call, Sasuke noticed Kurama sit down behind him as Naruto jogged up to the yard. Sasuke guessed that Naruto had taken a bus to work. Naruto came to a stop in front of Sasuke, glaring down at his dog while Kurama innocently stared at the ground.

"He didn't cause you any trouble did he? I'm sorry, he's had problems with jumping the fence before." Naruto grinned sheepishly as he explained, rubbing the back of his head. Sasuke withheld a smirk, shaking his head.

"He was fine." He replied shortly, stepping aside so Naruto could get his dog. Kurama glanced at Naruto when the blonde clicked his tongue, wandering to his side. Sasuke silently mused about how Kurama acted similar to Naruto; cheerful, yet he would sulk if someone was annoyed.

"You know better, there are cars around here that won't stop for you!" Naruto reprimanded the dog, who was looking rather sorry. "I don't know why he keeps trying to get out, he always ends up coming back. It's like he does it just because he can." Naruto said, sighing in exasperation.

Sasuke shrugged in response, glancing down at Kurama. "Maybe he sees something that he wants." He said, remembering how Salem would walk along the fence in Naruto's yard. Perhaps the crash at his door earlier had been Salem _after_ she'd lured Kurama out of his fence; almost as if she wanted Sasuke to know the work she'd done.

Naruto chuckled, glancing up then. Sasuke followed his gaze, brows rising in surprise as he saw Salem sitting on the roof of the house. She almost never got up there. "Like a certain taunting cat?" Naruto smiled, reaching down to pet Kurama, who had sunk down onto the ground.

Sasuke's lips formed a small smile, to his ire. He didn't want to be friends with this guy, he didn't even know why he'd stood out here talking to him. He began to tell him goodbye, when a voice cut into the air like a blade. Sasuke went rigid, his eyes widening a fraction in recognition. Naruto turned his head slightly to look at Suigetsu as he walked down the sidewalk and into the yard. "What are you doing?" The Hozuki asked, it was laced with a demand and directed at Sasuke.

Before Sasuke could find the correct answer, Naruto spoke. "Getting my dog, he hopped the fence to get into Sasuke's yard." He said, folding his arms. Suigetsu turned to look at Naruto then, his eyes narrowed as if clearly saying _"I wasn't talking to you." _

Naruto returned the look, his brow raised as he waited for Suigetsu to say something. Tension filled the air, making it difficult to breathe; Sasuke may have just imagined that. "Yeah, I walked out and the dog walked up to me. Naruto just got off work and came to get him." Sasuke said, causing both males to glance at him. Suigetsu's expression was cold, Sasuke knew he had screwed up.

"I called you earlier, you didn't answer." Suigetsu's words made Sasuke blink in surprise, he realized with a jolt that he'd left his phone inside. He'd only been out here a few minutes, he didn't think he'd need to carry the stupid thing around constantly.

"I must have left my phone inside when I came out to get the dog, sorry." His voice was calm, he forced a small smile onto his lips, surprised to find it almost hurt. He had to make this look like a perfectly normal conversation.

Suigetsu took a step forward, Sasuke assumed it was to walk inside the house since he knew Suigetsu wasn't an idiot and wouldn't do anything to hurt Sasuke in front of someone else, but a low growl suddenly hit their ears. Sasuke looked down in disbelief at Kurama, the dog's entire persona changed. He was glaring at Suigetsu with his ears back as the white-haired boy stepped beside Sasuke. "Is that flea-bag safe? He acts rabid." Suigetsu said sharply, Sasuke hoped Suigetsu didn't kick the dog or something else stupid.

"He's fine. He just might not like some people, I guess since we're so new here." Naruto flashed a smile, Sasuke found himself wondering how sardonic that smile may have been. With harsh force he withheld a start when Suigetsu grabbed his hand, tugging on his arm to tell him to get inside.

Sasuke was surprised Suigetsu hadn't grabbed his wrist, but he supposed even Suigetsu knew that wouldn't look very good. All three boys started when Kurama suddenly snapped his teeth, Sasuke pushed Suigetsu behind him out of reflex.

If Kurama so much as scratched Suigetsu, it would bring hell for both the dog and Naruto. "The dog's only been here a few weeks, he's just unused to us being around him." Sasuke spoke the first thing that came to his mind as he stood between Kurama and Suigetsu, wary that one of them would lunge.

"Maybe he's just a dangerous mongrel." Suigetsu said, his eyes narrowed at Naruto. "Control your dog." With that he stormed inside the house, leaving Sasuke standing. Naruto glanced down at his dog and then back in the direction Suigetsu had stormed off in.

"Sorry, Kurama can be hostile but he's usually never done that." Naruto said, hooking his fingers in Kurama's collar to take him back home. Kurama still stared pointedly in Suigetsu's direction.

Sasuke shrugged, turning to leave. "It's fine, Suigetsu treated him kind of badly. He's probably had a bad day and I know he doesn't really like animals to begin with, I apologize." With that, Sasuke shut the front door, not prolonging the conversation that was now certainly going to get him in trouble. With a deep breath he started to speak as he walked into the living room. "Suigetsu-" He barely finished the sentence before his boyfriend flew off the handle.

"What's wrong with you? Don't you ever listen to what I tell you?" Suigetsu was barely an inch from Sasuke's face, he grabbed the front of the Uchiha's shirt to pull him close. He stared down at Sasuke, waiting for an answer that wasn't going to matter.

"I just went out to get his dog, nothing else." Sasuke gripped Suigetsu's wrist, trying to calculate the other boy's next move. If he could brace himself, he'd have more of a chance of getting out of this without bruises to disguise.

"Then you wanna tell me why you two seem so close?" Suigetsu hissed, pressing Sasuke's back into the wall. Sasuke shook his head, unsure of how to calm Suigetsu. He'd already tried to explain that he barely even knew Naruto.

"I've barely known him a month, how can I get close to anyone in that time span?" Suigetsu's hand cracked across Sasuke's face, catching him off guard. He brought a hand to his cheek, realizing he should have known better than to let his guard down.

"Don't smart off to me." Suigetsu started to reach out for Sasuke again, but his phone suddenly rang. He glanced down at it while Sasuke straightened back up, closely watching Suigetsu's expression. Suigetsu swore, turning around quickly. "I have someone to talk to. I'll be back." Sasuke wasn't sure if that was a threat or a promise, as Suigetsu slammed the door behind him. He let his head tilt back to hit the wall, sighing slowly. Would the dust settle before Suigetsu came back? Or would Itachi get home before the teenager did?

Sasuke looked at the clock, seeing it was already almost five, Itachi should be getting off soon. He pushed himself off the wall, sitting on the couch in the living room. He idly wondered if he could find a concealer to disguise any bruises that might not be hidden by his clothes, thinking it might be at least a good option to have.

It was difficult convincing someone where a bruise came from, occasionally; though really, teenage boys got bruised all the time didn't they? He glanced over when he heard a buzzing sound, seeing Itachi's name flash up on his cell phone he picked it up. "Hello?" Sasuke answered, satisfied that his voice was steady.

"Sasuke, I won't be home until very late tonight. I have a project that I need to complete." Itachi's voice was apologetic, Sasuke clenched the phone in irritation. Itachi hadn't stayed late in a month or two, yet he still disagreed with the late hours. Sasuke didn't think staying at work until three in the morning was worth anything.

"Fine." He replied, going to hang up before he heard Itachi speak again. He barely caught himself before he pressed the button to end the call, quickly listening again.

"Eat something before you go to bed, I'll see you later on. Goodbye." Sasuke hung up without replying, shaking his head. He understood needing the job, but Itachi would work himself into a grave. He stood up, his eyes already feeling heavy so he decided to throw something together for dinner and head to his room.

He nearly dropped the packet of noodles he'd picked up when a quiet "meow" echoed in the kitchen. He looked down at Salem as she paced by her food bowl, wondering when she had sneaked back inside. He set the noodles to cook, filling Salem's food and water dishes.

He watched her eat, his head tilting slightly in thought. His face was still red from the hit earlier, but he didn't notice any signs of swelling. With luck it would simply go away. He looked over when he heard the timer go off, putting his food into a bowl and leaning against the counter to eat.

He noticed how slowly he seemed to eat now, as he caught himself moving the noodles around the bowl more often than genuinely eating them. The sky was darkening by the time he finally got fed up and quickly finished off what was left, washing off the dishes. He gave Salem a piece of noodle to satisfy her curious looks, raising a brow as she batted it around the floor before finally eating it. He imagined it would be nice, to be so easily entertained and cared for.

He paused when he heard something outside, his brow furrowing in confusion. Suigetsu's promise to come back earlier struck him like electricity, he turned around and walked into the living room just as the door opened. Suigetsu kicked it shut, shrugging off his jacket and tossing it onto the floor. He glanced at Sasuke with a clenched hand. "Your brother gonna be home tonight?" He asked, looking Sasuke up and down.

"He will be… But he's late." Sasuke replied, telling half the truth. Suigetsu began walking towards Sasuke. Sasuke noticed the glint in his eyes.

"You're getting kinda fat." Suigetsu said to Sasuke, making the raven blink as he heard the insult. He glanced down, hearing Suigetsu snicker as he suddenly shoved Sasuke backwards. "You don't think I forgot about you not listening to me earlier, did you? I said I'd teach you a lesson if you saw that creep again."

Sasuke felt his back hit the wall, his eyes locking onto Suigetsu's.

He supposed this was how a deer must feel, when it was watching the wolf circle in for the kill.

_Terror. That's what the reflection had earlier._

* * *

**AUTHORESS NOTE:**

**I should be in bed but no. **

_**This is so long, how did that happen?!**_

**Warning: Updates will be slower, starting the nineteenth of August, my first day of school. I haven't been to a public school in two years so I've been anxious and unable to do anything but pace around, so I figured I should convert my energy into writing for you guys! **

**MzPearlz: Haha! She sounds hilarious. My outside dog had fleas badly as well, she got rashes from them so our vet told me to start getting her "Comfortis" and she hasn't had problems with fleas since. :D**

**Dawn Rune: I got your review last minute before posting this, but I'm glad I did as I tried to edit this chapter due to your tip. I appreciate your help. I'm irritated that no one had ever told me about two characters needing separate paragraphs for dialogue, especially considering the teachers that have read other things from me. But people learn new things every day, I'm grateful you took the time to help me out so that I'll try not to make the same mistakes twice. Thank you for your support as well, good day!**


	12. Just in Time

Sasuke threw his arms up to protect himself when Suigetsu raised his fist, wincing at the bruising pain as Suigetsu brought his arm down. Suigetsu snarled, sending his knee violently into Sasuke's stomach. It only drove Suigetsu's anger further if Sasuke fought back, but he couldn't stop his instincts. Sasuke's breath was knocked from his body, his heart beginning to race as his lungs tried to recover from the shock of the oxygen being ripped from them.

He had little time to brace himself for the next hit, Suigetsu's fist slammed into his cheek, the force knocking him onto the floor; that wasn't a good place to be. Blood filled his mouth, the metallic taste nearly making him sick. His arms protected his head when Suigetsu kicked his side hard to turn him onto his back, Sasuke swore he felt his ribs crack. "I didn't do anything! Why are you so angry!" His voice was loud.

"You think you're fucking clever, don't you?" Suigetsu hissed, straddling Sasuke's hips and wrapping one hand around the pinned boy's throat to keep him still. Sasuke's fingers instantly clutched Suigetsu's wrist to try to pry him off, the pressure enough to borne terror inside his mind.

You could never guess what Suigetsu would do, his temper could plummet over the edge and he could have no problems with killing someone. Sasuke wasn't safe from that list. "You think I can't fucking see you trying to flirt with that asshole?" Suigetsu's voice echoed off the walls as his tone grew louder.

Sasuke choked when Suigetsu tightened his grip, trying to speak. "I-I'm not flirting with him! I love you, I wouldn't ever do th-that!" His nails dug into Suigetsu's skin, drawing blood as he struggled. Suigetsu's eyes narrowed dangerously at Sasuke.

"You're a filthy little liar!" He continued to yell, releasing Sasuke's neck. Sasuke gasped desperately to get air into his body, trying to shove Suigetsu off of him. His eyes caught a sudden, odd flash in the dim room. His mind was struck with recognition like a bullet, his hands shooting up to try and deflect the attack.

"_No!"_ His voice was nearly a scream, his heart pounding against his chest as adrenaline nearly burst his veins. The blade of the knife was sharp against his skin, Suigetsu's grip tightened on his captured wrists and he pressed the knife under Sasuke's chin. Sasuke tilted his head to escape it, his eyes locked onto Suigetsu's. _You wouldn't do this. I know you wouldn't…_

"You're too fucking stupid to know who you belong to, Sasuke. Maybe a little reminder will help you." He growled, jerking Sasuke's shirt open.

"Get off!" Sasuke shouted, pressing his lips tightly together when the blade pressed farther into his skin. He was afraid to swallow.

"Shut up." Suigetsu demanded, sliding the knife down Sasuke's chest to his stomach. The vehement struggle had little effect, Suigetsu refused to move. Fear was a poison, it burned every nerve in Sasuke's body. Suigetsu couldn't kill him. He shuddered as the icy steel touched against his abdomen, above his navel. His entire being went rigid when Suigetsu pressed the sharp blade down, hot crimson blooming.

"_Stop!"_ Sasuke screamed, cringing when Suigetsu crashed their lips together. Repulsion burst within him, the fire burning across his skin as Suigetsu etched the knife across his stomach combined with the twisted idea of Suigetsu kissing him caused his mind to enter lockdown.

His body shook at the harsh flares of pain when Suigetsu finally pulled the knife away, shoving it into the pocket of his jeans. A sick smile adorned his lips as he looked down at his boyfriend's terrified expression. Disgust flashed in Sasuke's dark orbs upon seeing the glint of pleasure in Suigetsu's eyes.

"You won't fucking forget who owns you now, will you?" Suigetsu growled, sliding his hand down to press against the wound he had just inflicted. Sasuke hissed sharply, the explosion of adrenaline that came from the pain giving him the energy to shove Suigetsu off of him. He shot off the ground, time freezing in place for a moment as his mind warned him of the mistake he'd just made. He didn't have anywhere to go.

"You bitch." Suigetsu snarled, lunging towards Sasuke; the raven leaned to the left, his words dying on his lips as nothing seemed worth saying. He turned to run upstairs, gasping when an explosion to his right temporarily paralyzed him. Suigetsu had tried to hit him with something.

He looked down at the destroyed lamp Suigetsu had just thrown towards him as it collided with the wall and shattered. He didn't stop to think what would have happened had it actually hit him. He whirled around, his legs shifting into a defensive stance in reflexive hope to make it out of this alive.

"Get out!" He demanded, his eyes shining as they caught the light. He wrenched a jacket off of the desk and yanked it on to cover the wound, not caring that it belonged to Itachi. He had to keep blood off the floor, he'd never find a way to explain that.

He pressed on his stomach lightly, biting his lip and swallowing thickly. Suigetsu cursed at him, taking a step forward. This was going too far, Suigetsu didn't care how much he injured Sasuke despite knowing if Itachi caught on it would be dangerous for them both.

"Why didn't I just cut your tongue out?" Sasuke took a step back when Suigetsu went towards him, a sudden loud banging detonating their little private circle. Time began to tick again, neither of them moved an inch. It felt like seconds strode by as hours until Sasuke unglued himself from the floor, practically running past Suigetsu. Itachi wouldn't knock, and it was well past midnight by now. Who would even be daring enough to knock at this hour?

His breathing was shallow as he paused in front of the door, his effort to calm himself barely succeeding. He opened the door. Shock and confusion fought to be the strongest emotion when his eyes met fierce blue ones. "Naruto? What are you doing here?"

Sasuke nearly winced at the painfully deadened tone of his own voice. The blonde looked him up and down before looking into the house, his arms folded across his chest. "Are you okay? I heard a loud crash and someone yelling, what's going on?" He said with worry in his voice.

Sasuke cleared his throat to try again, thankful it was dark enough to conceal any bruise he may have had forming. "Yes, everything is fine. It was probably the movie we were watching, I apologize if it woke you." He started to close the door but Naruto put his hand on it to stop him; Sasuke wasn't sure if this surprised or irritated him.

"Are you sure?" Sasuke didn't like the persistence. He swallowed his curse and tried to keep collected before he either told Naruto to go away or begged him to stay. Either one wouldn't end well.

"Yes. Goodnight." He shut the door then, his chest rising up and down quickly. He flinched when Suigetsu shoved him away from in front of the door, turning to look up at him in alarm.

"Tell him to stay away from you. Or I'll do it for you." He ordered dangerously, standing over Sasuke intimidatingly. Sasuke found his mouth frozen, he nodded to tell Suigetsu he understood. The white-haired boy sneered, opening the door to leave. "Maybe you're not such a dumbass after all." With that he slammed the door, shaking the entire house. Sasuke slid down onto the floor, his legs folded beneath him. Naruto had just saved his life. If someone hadn't stepped in, Suigetsu would have lost his temper. Had Naruto not bothered to check on him…

_That was too close. What if Naruto had seen something? Heard something wrong? _

He still shook slightly as he pushed himself up a bit, sighing with conscious effort as he stood. He walked into the living room, glancing with contempt at the shattered lamp. How would he explain a missing lamp, he wondered, as he cleaned it up and buried the broken pieces into the trash.

He vacuumed up the tiniest pieces of glass before he unwillingly made his ascent upstairs. He took off the jacket and threw it into the closet, looking down at his stomach. He narrowed his eyes, wiping a bit of the blood away with his hand.

When he could see exactly what was carved into his skin, his eyes widened in horror. The Japanese symbol for the gang Suigetsu was in -and had dragged Sasuke into the middle of- was carved into the area above his navel. Saltwater mixed with blood as he stared down in disbelief at the wound. He could never explain this to anyone. He'd never even be able to take his shirt off again unless he was alone!

_Shit._

He made it without a second to spare to the bathroom, violently being sick into the toilet. He shakily wiped his mouth, his throat and stomach burning as he flushed. Using the counter as leverage he pulled himself up and turned on the sink, washing his hands and face and rinsing his mouth out. He sniffed, glancing into the mirror. His eyes were filled with dark emotion and his face was wet, as if he'd been crying. He didn't remember doing so.

He shoved himself away from the looking-glass, trudging into his room and sliding into his bed, curling into a ball. Pain wracked his body and mind, and in a rare show of mercy, sleep beckoned him into her grasp. He could hide in the false security of his dreams for a while.

Even when his mind began having trouble deciding what was worse; the nightmare, or the reality.

* * *

**AUTHORESS NOTE:**

**There are questions I want to answer but can't because they tie in with things later on in the story. I'll probably give direct answers later on though, since that's just how I am, I like direct answers. **

**LucyLu71958: Thank you kindly for your support on this story and for the others you reviewed! I deeply appreciate it. I was expected to enter my tenth year of school, but due to some issues they placed me in ninth.**

**Thanks everyone else for your kind support, I wrote up a quick chapter while it's Friday. I wanted to write in the week but I'm so unused to the schedule I'm in now that I'm way too tired to write, haha! I will get back on it quickly enough! First week of school, done up. Wasn't unbearable, though a little annoying with how they have everything placed… I get lost. And they give you four minutes to get across a school without running and while trying to shove past rude-ass kids. **

_**Get the fuck out of my way.**_

**Sasuke Neko: STOP COMING OUT OF NOWHERE AT SCHOOL AND ATTACKING ME TEME. **

**This chapter was a part of the main outline of the story that I knew I originally wanted to be in it. I think I set it up a bit early, seeing as we're on the twelfth chapter here and I'm attempting to move along certain relationships.**


	13. Leave

Sasuke was sitting on his bed with his legs drawn up to his chest, his back against the wall. He hadn't come out of his room since last night, thankful Itachi wasn't home to disrupt his sanctuary. The position he was sitting in was uncomfortable, the carved wound on his abdomen burning like a lighter was licking across his skin. His body wanted to move to alleviate the pain, but his mind chose not to. He relished the pain, an odd way of reminding him he was alive, of what had happened.

Seconds ticked by like days as he entranced himself with thoughts. Would Suigetsu come back today? Would he be able to conceal the…scar, forever? What would happen if Itachi saw it? He could concoct a lie, sure, but he doubted even a child would believe whatever act he managed to put on for a scar like this. Maybe it would vanish, or he could use some sort of concealer.

He swallowed thickly, slowly standing up off the bed and glancing out of the window. It wasn't rainy or windy, but the clouds had enveloped the sun and smothered her heat. He stared outside for a moment, a spark of hatred flashing through him as he saw a child walking down the street with her mother. Carefree, as if nothing in life would ever go wrong.

He quickly shook his head to clear the envious thought, entering his bathroom and stripping his clothes off. He turned the shower on, as he waited for the water to warm up he looked into the mirror. The red scar stood out on his pale skin harshly, as if someone had painted it.

He ran a hand over his stomach, pursing his lips. He was healthy, he just wasn't built with muscle like Suigetsu was. There was nothing wrong with him.

His reflection suddenly seemed to smirk at him and he quickly turned away, getting into the shower to try and let the water drench away his problems. He grit his teeth as the water ran across the wound, tinting the bottom of the shower pink as dried blood was washed off. He ran his hand over it, the flare of fire that followed that action making him shudder.

Satisfied that it seemed to have completely stopped bleeding, he sluggishly finished his shower as he wasn't in a hurry to leave the serenity of the cascading hot water. After standing for that felt like hours he sighed, leaning against the wall. It wasn't going to be any easier to step out of the shower no matter how long he waited.

He turned the water off, opening the door and stepping out into the unwelcoming cool air. He dressed slowly, his mind set onto autopilot. With a heavy sigh he walked out of his room, blinking when he saw the kitchen light on. He padded down the stairs, Salem came trotting up to him and looked up as if berating him for being barred in his room for so long.

"Hello, I was beginning to wonder if you planned to come down at all today." Itachi's voice entered his senses, making him feel an irrational spark of anger. His eyes narrowed in confusion, kneeling down to pick Salem up before straightening up to look at his brother as he walked into the living room. Itachi looked tired, though he appeared to have just gotten out of the shower.

"I didn't sleep well last night, so I didn't get up." Sasuke shrugged, walking past Itachi. The elder raised a brow, turning to talk to Sasuke. "What's the matter?" He asked, the concerned tone of his voice made Sasuke sigh. He'd wanted to make Itachi leave him be, not to cause him to ask more questions.

"Nothing, people don't sleep well sometimes." Sasuke opened the fridge, taking out a banana in hopes it would satisfy him without making him sick. His body felt ready to dispel anything he tried to eat. He peeled it slowly, taking a bite as he poured food into Salem's bowl. He made a point not to look at Itachi, but he did notice the calculative expression, as if Itachi were trying to read his mind.

"Why don't you go get some rest, what time did you get home?" Sasuke muttered to drive the attention elsewhere. Itachi didn't reply for a second, but Sasuke still caught it.

"Close to two in the morning, I'm heading back to finish up what didn't get completed last night." Itachi replied, reaching out to pick up his keys. Sasuke blinked, having thought it was much later in the morning. He supposed time truly was going slower today. He narrowed his eyes then, shaking his head.

"That's not fair, you've barely slept at all and they want you to come back?" He argued, finishing off the last of the banana and tossing the peel into the trash. Itachi didn't even pause, used to Sasuke's arguing.

"I can't just take off. I'm fine Sasuke, a little less sleep isn't going to hurt me." He replied evenly, putting on his coat and turning to look at Sasuke's disapproving expression. "I'll see you soon. Go for a walk, you look a little weak and exercise wouldn't hurt." He murmured, ruffling Sasuke's hair a bit before he turned to walk out of the house, leaving Sasuke to be enveloped in the silence.

Sasuke leaned against the counter, his eyes half shut as he eyed the floor beneath him. With a frustrated sigh he walked to the closet, taking out the broom and sweeping. Cleaning was better than nothing, at least. He did the dishes and washed the counters after he finished sweeping, satisfied that the kitchen was clean enough to please even the pickiest of clean freaks.

He sat on the couch, letting his head tilt back to rest against the back of the couch. He felt unenergized, but if he went to sleep now he wouldn't sleep at night. He crossed his arms, focusing on his hearing as he listened to birds outside arguing. Was nothing ever truly silent?

"_Knock knock!" _

He tensed at the sound, his head whipping towards the door. It wasn't a loud or demanding knock, but he still didn't trust that it wouldn't be someone he definitely didn't want to see. He slowly rose from the couch, silently padding to the door and opening it. His gaze narrowed at the azure eyes that stared back at him. Definitely the last person he wanted to see.

"Hey." Naruto said, tilting his head to look over Sasuke. "I know I bothered you about it last night, but… Are you sure you're okay? You looked really upset." He said, personally thinking that right now, Sasuke didn't really look much better than he had last night; tired and upset.

"I'm fine. You need to leave." Sasuke said, beginning to shut the door. Naruto quickly used his foot to stop the door, earning a scowl from Sasuke.

"I'm only trying to help. Was it your boyfriend that was over last night?" He asked bluntly, having a feeling that was the only person Sasuke would have had inside the house so late. Sasuke sighed in an angry manner, surprising Naruto when he glared up at him.

"It isn't any of your concern. Stop talking to me." Sasuke's voice was firm, Naruto's confused look giving him the chance to finally shut the door. He leaned heavily against it, listening as Naruto's footsteps eventually padded down the driveway. He hoped that message was clear enough for even an idiot to see.

He folded his arms across his stomach, guilt eating a hole into him and causing an ache. He clenched his jaw, his eyes glaring straight ahead. Naruto was just another kid passing by in life, it wouldn't matter what he said. He didn't need anything from the blonde; and he wasn't going to be the reason Naruto ended up killed, over nothing but a jealous dispute.

"_I'm sorry. But you'll never help me."_

* * *

**AUTHORESS NOTE:**

**Aren't you supposed to make friends in school? I think I'm socially retarded. **

**flare: You're very sweet, thank you! I'm happy you enjoy the story!**

**TheTakahashiTwins: That means a lot to hear, I appreciate your feedback. I love darker stories, but I always have to find some way to pour sugar in with it, haha!**

**Risa McDohl: Thanks! I'm happy you enjoy the story!**


	14. Damned

Naruto looked out through the window at the pattering rain as it pounded against his window, as if it wanted to come inside. There was already a storm brewing inside of him, he didn't need another one. Kurama paced around the couch, edgy from the thunder and his human's unsettled emotion. Naruto absentmindedly reached out to pet the worried animal as Kurama sat beside him, but his focus remained on Sasuke.

Maybe he'd said something wrong for Sasuke to suddenly be so irritated with him? He had seemed fine until today, where it was like he'd suddenly decided Naruto was his enemy when he hadn't even done anything! One day they were friends, and now Sasuke was telling him to leave him alone, he had no idea what had happened!

"I think more happened last night than Sasuke said…" Naruto voiced the thought aloud. Maybe they'd broken up and Sasuke was stressed over it? It sounded like a war had been started. Suigetsu acted a little strange, he clearly didn't like Naruto. Naruto pursed his lips; he didn't really trust Suigetsu for some reason. Probably the unusual way he acted, he seemed a little edgy. It was probably just reflex from being trained to pick out twitchy people was all.

He wondered if he should ask Itachi about the previous night, Naruto didn't believe it had been nothing but a movie; that was bull. He didn't think Sasuke would appreciate him going behind his back to talk to Itachi about personal matters, though. Still, he would try to get Sasuke to talk to him tomorrow, he would have some time to cool off.

Curiosity and concern got the better of Naruto most of the time, especially when he'd already established someone as his friend. He worried about Sasuke a little, probably because of the time he'd had to go to the hospital. Sasuke could take care of himself, he was sure, the raven seemed stubborn enough. But still, Naruto didn't like being pushed away, especially without a reason!

Whether Sasuke wanted it or not, Naruto wasn't giving up on him.

* * *

**(Sasuke) **

Exactly what was the point of homework on vacations?

Sasuke stared down with disdain at the paper in front of him, his vision blended mathematical equations into what might as well have been Egyptian hieroglyphics. This normally would have been simple enough for him, it was mostly a review, but today his mind just didn't want to cooperate and make sense of the numbers and signs.

He sighed heavily and pushed the paper and math book onto the floor, leaning back on the couch and covering his face with his hands. What was the point of homework; they received enough work _during_ school in his opinion. Not to mention the kids that actually had jobs along with their schooling. He rubbed his temples, deciding to put the work off until tomorrow when he hopefully wouldn't be as tired.

Or sore.

He winced as he stretched his legs out on the couch, careful not to let his shirt rub too much over the scar. He'd bandaged it, yet he was still paranoid about it somehow bleeding through his shirt again. He didn't know what to do about it, he'd cleaned and bandaged it but he doubted that knife had been clean. He'd put antibiotic cream on it, hoping that would suffice.

He couldn't go to a doctor for it; even picturing the disaster that would follow those events was enough to make him shake his head in firm denial of ever letting a doctor see the wound. He had taken a couple of pills earlier and they slowly started to seep into his system and coat over the pain like a soothing lie.

The pain was still there under the disguise of the medicine, and it would return with a vengeance after the medication dwindled away. He rested an arm over his eyes, his tense muscles relaxing as the painkillers coursed through his veins.

Shadows danced along the walls as if they were performing a show, the last remnants of the sunlight slowly fading away as the night inked into the sky, the rain slowly falling seeming to pick up pace. He liked the longer nights, perhaps one night the day just would never come.

His head tilted back when the door opened, Itachi walked inside with water dripping from his hair. "Caught in the rain?" Sasuke mused, sarcasm in his eyes as Itachi turned to give him a flat glare while taking off his coat and hanging it up to dry.

"Did you see Naruto today? He has a file I need for work to finish this weekend." Itachi asked as he walked into the kitchen, presumably to fix something quick to eat before showering. Sasuke pursed his lips, eyes narrowing a bit. He wasn't a secretary, it wasn't his job to go back and forth handing documents between Itachi and Naruto.

"No. I don't want to, either." He said firmly, standing up off of the couch and turning to walk up the stairs. Unfortunately, Itachi had other plans.

"Why? Did he say something wrong to you?" Itachi inquired, Sasuke paused with a roll of his eyes upward. He could have ignored Itachi and continued upstairs, but he doubted Itachi would have let it go.

"I just don't want to be around him. We're nothing alike, anyway." Sasuke said simply, hoping the answer satisfied Itachi. Even if it didn't, too bad. He headed up the stairs to his room, though he heard Itachi's last bit of disapproving opinion.

"You shouldn't distance yourself from everyone. I understand you're not social, but you're turning into a hermit." Itachi wouldn't force him to hang around anyone, but Sasuke still hated the censure of his decisions. He slammed his door shut as he got to his room, sitting on the bed. Itachi had no place to criticize him.

Sasuke had to remind himself that Itachi didn't understand, so he shouldn't have been angry, but he couldn't help the feeling. He clenched his hand, slamming his fist into the pillow in an effort to release the pent up annoyance.

Anger seemed to be constant for him anymore, he was sick of it. He added it up to just being tired, anyone would be a bit short with others if they were tired. He settled to rest on his back, sighing as he closed his eyes.

The second he did, his mind found it a perfect time to wander. Itachi's question about Naruto led his thoughts to drift towards the blonde. He regretted telling him to go away, he'd probably offended the other boy.

He doubted that Naruto would have left had he not been a little harsh, though. He shouldn't have cared. No, he didn't care, he was just worried a bit. Naruto was kind and he didn't deserve to be treated like that when he'd done nothing wrong.

_Damn it._

* * *

**AUTHORESS NOTE:**

**BadButt94: Ack, thank you so much! **

**flare: As always, you're sweet and I deeply appreciate the review you left. **

**MzPearlz: True that relationships take patience, but I haven't made friends since about 6th grade. Well, at school anyhow. My best friend lives in a freaking different country, but she counts dammit, haha! Hearts to you, as always. **

**And no, Sasuke Neko is not allowed to keep attacking me, because some serious teme-fucking-up will go down in this shizz.**

…**I love you Sasuke…**

**I didn't really know what to write for this chapter. I have that painful jealousy you get sometimes and then when I tried to write for this I ended up writing an original short…something about jealousy; so I had to start over. The short story for jealousy is on my fictionpress by the way, link on my profile to that if someone wants to critique it or something.**


	15. What Are You Playing?

"I might be staying out later on work nights, paperwork and meetings are piling up now that we're completing the project and finalizing the merge. I still expect you to keep up with the homework you were given, school begins again in a few weeks."

Itachi was speaking to Sasuke as he strode through the morning routine of getting ready to leave for work, unknowing that Sasuke was barely registering the words being spoken.

_You say that as if I care._

The younger Uchiha sighed, his head resting on the palm of his hand as he sat at the table in the kitchen. He was perfectly fine with Itachi being gone, he preferred to be alone; being alone meant you had nothing to hide and nothing to pretend.

"Sasuke, are you listening?" Sasuke tilted his head up at hearing his name, quickly nodding to confirm that yes he was pretending to listen.

Itachi exhaled with a small shake of his head. Teenagers were difficult, but Sasuke insisted on being one step short of impossible. "I'm leaving. Try to get some work done, I don't want you developing a habit of waiting until the last minute."

Itachi ruffled Sasuke's hair lightly to annoy the younger before he exited the kitchen. Sasuke waited until he heard the small click of the front door shutting that signified he was unchained from the confinements of his deception. It wasn't that he distrusted Itachi, but something inside of him felt it was necessary to disguise himself. As if it would protect him somehow.

Sasuke stood, casting his gaze down when an annoyed cat bumped into his ankles. "Why are you so demanding?" He murmured at Salem as he opened the cabinet, getting a bowl for himself before he knelt down to pour food into Salem's dish. She gave him a haughty glance, giving Sasuke the impression she was praising him for feeding her.

He poured some cereal into his bowl, giving Salem a bit of milk as he poured it in. He ate slowly, hoping the slower he ate the faster time would go by and he wouldn't have to deal with the day. He glared down into the bowl as the last few pieces of cereal insisted on evading the spoon.

He hummed to himself. This little game was similar to life, in a way; the cereal pieces were like people trying to escape their problems -which was the spoon- even though they had a very small space -the bowl- to try to run in and they knew inevitably their problems were going to catch up to them.

He blinked out of his trance, shaking his head at the preposterous thoughts. Well, that's what happened when you allowed your mind to wander. He stood up and washed the bowl, making a point to ignore the motorboat purring down at his feet. "You're not getting more." Sasuke muttered at the cat as he turned and left the kitchen.

He threw his textbook open on the table, determined to get the bothersome math homework out of his way before he just decided to burn the pointless paper. He absentmindedly scribbled answers onto the sheet, numbers and signs drifting in front of his eyes and his brain shooting out answers automatically.

He was bored of school, glad to be leaving soon enough. He didn't see the reasoning behind sending kids to school for so many years when it didn't ever amount to much for the most apart. College was what mattered in the end. In school, honestly, why not just teach what was vital? Maybe more damn kids would care to learn then.

"_Knock knock!" _

He slowly turned to face the door when he heard someone knock, realizing he'd been staring at the completed work for who knows how long. Well, he supposed it was one way to waste time. He tossed the papers and book back into his bag before straightening up and heading for the door. He didn't bother to look to see who it was before he opened it, though that turned out to be a mistake on his part. "What are you doing here?"

Naruto blinked at the rather harsh question. "Well you don't have to be so hostile! Here, this is for Itachi. He needs to finish it by Monday." Naruto handed Sasuke a packet of papers, Sasuke took them with an apathetic glance at the paper-clipped documents. He started to shut the door when Naruto spoke up again. "You're _welcome!"_

He said emphatically, nearly snickering at the unamused glare Sasuke gave him. Someone woke up on the wrong side of the bed today. "Thank you. Now if you'll excuse me, I'm busy." Sasuke said begrudgingly, frustrated with the stubbornness of the blonde. Naruto laughed at what Sasuke said, earning a narrowed gaze of suspicion.

Sasuke wondered if Naruto had hit his head at some point in his life. "I'm sure you're real busy, doing homework and all." Naruto's eyes glinted in amusement as he watched Sasuke frown, clearly not taking the taunt well.

"Yes, problems that I'm sure your little brain couldn't begin to make sense of." Sasuke replied caustically, folding his arms as he smirked at Naruto's surprised expression.

"Yeah well, who needs stupid little equations anyway?" Naruto huffed at the cocky raven. Ha, Sasuke thought he was so damn clever didn't he? Sasuke shook his head at the stupid comeback, smirk still mockingly set on his lips.

"Don't you have somewhere else to be?" Sasuke finally sighed, indicating he was finished with this conversation. Naruto squinted one eye closed in thought, pretending to try and remember something. Sasuke grit his teeth at the little mocking show.

"I was having fun irritating you, but I guess I should head back before Kurama tears up the house. See you around!" With the cheerful goodbye Naruto turned on his heel to head down the driveway, a smirk painting its way along his lips. He'd baited Sasuke and the raven fell for it; now he knew exactly how to get him to talk.

Sasuke shut the door a little loudly, throwing the packet onto the coffee table as if it would help alleviate his annoyance. Damn work, damn smartass blondes, damn refusal to leave him alone. He glared out of the window, eyes narrowing as he watched Naruto walk into his house.

_What game are you playing?_

* * *

**AUTHORESS NOTE:**

**Ah, Naruto planned something out huh?**

**I do not remember if I edited this or not...Apologies if you find a mistake I will fix it immediately. **

**Um… Updates have been slow because a lot of medical difficulties have come up so it's a little hard to write currently, but I swear I'm trying! Thank you all for the sweet reviews! **

**Also the fact that I have no plans set up yet. I definitely know certain checkmarks that are going into the story, but I need to pave the way through them first. I swear I'll figure something out soon enough.**


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